As televisions no longer are unconquerable in most countries,more children have the convenience to watch TV whenever they are free.While they are watching TV for fun and knowledge,they are affected by the negative advertisers,who value money over children’s healthy.Advertisers target children mainly for three reasons:children are too young to distinguish reality and illusoriness,they don’t know how to control they pocket money and they are,in fact,very potential consuming force.By using unusual methods,advertisers make children follow them blindly.
Children,who usually don’t have the ability to tell which is right or wrong,believe in everything they hear or see,especially after seeing or hearing something for many times.Young Media Australia describes this problem as:
“The average child,under age eight,may not discern,or have defences against,the selling intent of the advertisements.”(Young Media Australia 1997,p18)
The advertisers smartly make great differentiations in their goods so that children will think the goods they have are unique and special.Temptations,which can be either toys or outstanding packages,attract children most.In the Young Media Australian’s article,we can get the main idea about this issue.It is said that as a result of children loving heroes from cartoons,toys manufacturers tie cartoon heroes toys with other goods as convenient food and sell them to the children (Young Media Australia 1997,p18).
Moreover,children are being targeted by the advertisers because they can’t control their pocket money properly.Matthews tells us that as children have little control of neither their pocket money nor political power,they are easily to use their money blindly (Mattews,1995,p23).Obviously,this is likely to happen when children’s heroes,the celebrities,show up and suggest them to consume the goods.A fact can be known in Matthews’s article that famous companies like Adidas or Nike have spent millions of dollars to the super basket ball stars to suggest the children to buy the very expensive shoes.Generally speaking,only few children can control themselves and not to buy those goods.
Ms Biggins tells us in Australian:
“They (Children are also being targeted as a future market as a future market….to the company they may well stay as a lifelong consumer.” (Australian 1997,p4)
This is undoubtedly the third reason why TV ads target young children,because they are easily to become lifetime consumers.As children don’t know how to choose the right goods for them,they may typically think that this kind of goods is the best for them,and forever.
In short,children,who are very easy to get confused by the advertisers,will buy those goods without really thinking about what they need or want.Since they are too young to control their money,the parents and teachers should help them set up the real and correct consuming standard.By improving certain measures about this problem,children can grow up healthily and happily in the future.