Marketing to Kids

Marketing to Kids

I believe that the US government has not taken an active role in protecting children from commercial culture because it is what drives our economy. Children motivate the most purchases worldwide. Not only do the children motivate purchases for themselves, but also they motivate the purchasing choices their parents make. Children’s minds are easily manipulated and there is no difference between this and marketing tobacco to kids or mandating that they wear bike helmets. In our society today, children are being marketing to at every second with brand names, which is affecting the way they grow as an individual. With sex-typed toys and the belief that they need to act a certain way hinders their ability to make decisions on their own. They are constantly having products shoved down their throats and shown advertising that makes them believe that they need a product to be relevant.

I believe that the government should interfere before it is too late. If we do not draw the line on what content children are exposed to, then the content will only get worse. What is going to stop the marketers from eventually advertising items to children that will hurt them? (Energy drinks, fast food, sexual products, guns) Many of the listed items are already being targeted towards children which sending the wrong message to them. With the addition of placing toys in “kids meals” the children associate their favorite characters with food chains. American culture has already changed drastically in the last quarter century and much of it has to do with the content that children are being exposed to. If kids see something on TV, then they are automatically going to think it is cool. The kids under 8 do not understand advertising and have no idea that it is influencing their wants.

Product placement is also a very big problem when it comes to advertising to kids. In 1983, $100 million was spent on child advertisements, but now the number has increased to over...