Advertising to Children

"You can tell the ideals of a nation
by its advertisements"

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Reports & Research

The Impact of Industry Self-Regulation on the Nutritional Quality of Foods Advertised on Television to Children, 2009

The Future of Children’s Media: Advertising, Conference Report, 2007

The Effects of Interactive Media on Preschoolers’ Learning, 2007

 

Fall Colors: Prime Time Diversity Report, 2003

Boys to Men: Conference Report on Media Messages About Masculinity, 1999

A Different World, 1999

Reflections of Girls in the Media, 1997

 

Facts & Figures

A new study of children found that watching TV was more harmful to children’s health than other sedentary activities like using a computer. In the study, the more TV children watched, the higher their blood pressure rose, regardless of their weight.

Existing research shows that children’s exposure to television advertising for non-nutritious food products is a significant risk factor contributing to childhood obesity.

 
 

Resources

Children Now comments submitted to the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity

 
 

Our children are a primary target of advertising, with companies spending $15 billion a year on marketing to children under the age of 12, twice the amount they spent just 10 years ago. What tends to be overlooked, however, is that children are uniquely susceptible to advertising messages. For instance:

  • Children under the age of eight do not recognize the persuasive intent of ads and tend to accept them as accurate and unbiased.

  • A 30-second commercial can influence brand preferences in children as young as two years old.

As such, Children Now works to better understand advertising’s impact on children’s health and ensure their best interests are reflected in our nation’s advertising policies. You can learn more about our work in the following areas:

Childhood Obesity & Advertising

Regulating Interactive Advertising to Children

Use of Licensed Characters to Sell to Children