HOW ADVERTISING INFLUENCES OUR KIDS Advertising affects all children. So, what should parents be aware of when it comes to the ways your child is being targeted by advertising asks Ella Ryan?
EFFECTS ON TODDLERS Up to two years old, a child cannot differentiate between advertisements and actual TV programmes. By the ages of three and six years old, a child can… ü Not tell TV programmes and ads apart ü Not separate entertainment videos and advertisements on YouTube. ü Probably have difficulty understanding that an advertisement is trying to sell them something ü Consider advertisements to be fun, helpful or entertaining ü Not always understand the messaging of the advertisement The only way to combat this as a parent is to limit the time your child spends watching television or YouTube videos. They are not old enough yet to understand how ads work!
EFFECT ON SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN By seven to eleven years old, children… ü Can grasp that advertising is trying to make them buy something ü Can remember messages and slogans from the advertising they consume ü Might recognise some of the compelling techniques being used, such as exaggerating how good the product is, etc.
MOTHER, BABY & CHILD | FEBRUARY 2022 | 13
