Children: a new target of advertising
TV is the powerful mass media involving both adults and children. It is also a favourite kind for children for spending their free time watching TV. Thus it is necessary to consider, that each fourth child from eight till twelve years has his/her own TV. As a whole advertising (children’s and adult together) makes 10 % of all screen time.
It seems, anybody does not doubt any more that the modern industry of advertising actively maintains children.
Last researches show, that children define about half of all family purchases that makes more than 90 billion euro a year at a level of the country.
Researches of social psychologists have shown, that children till 8 years
- do not always distinguish television advertising from other transfers and are not capable to distinguish its convincing purpose;
- illegibly enough trust TV advertising;
- wish to get the advertised goods and finger in this occasion of parents; while growing the child looks through 350 000 rollers
Many advertisement makers think that it is not useful to try to catch a recognition of people with already settled sights and persuade them to buy products . It is much more favourable to involve in itself the young audience easily perceiving all new, with not settled tastes, habits, with even not generated style and a way of life. The generation, since young years brought up in spirit of adherence to the certain brand, will keep the attachment during all life.
Thus, the modern child who has not issued yet as the person, not always still able to distinguish bad from good, harmful from useful, already knows, than it is possible to satisfy the thirst, what beer correct where to find guarantees and what to do, if there is no tooth-brush…
Not the secret, that the majority of adult televiewers does not like to look advertising rollers.
And small children practically do not have feeling of irritation because of the same advertising clips which repeat infinitely. The same teleroller they are ready to look repeatedly and with indefatigable interest. Kids from 4 till 6 years, and not so solvent adults continue to watch TV during translation of advertising blocks.
Psychologists consider that, ”small children are involved first of all with movement on the screen and a bright picture, instead of sense of the advertising message. The stream of the semantic information is perceived by them unconsciously. It is based on physiological feature of recognition: the attention of the person is focused on changes in surrounding space, instead of that is constant. Without additional strong-willed effort the person cannot long concentrate on stationary object. The weariness and attention collects is switched spontaneously. And on the contrary, the more changes, the stronger attention to them.
Modern advertising is characterized by dynamism. The child completely falls under authority of advertising. In advertising clips visual images vary so quickly, that the attention of the child simply has not time to get tired and obediently follows them.
Always remember that the unique purpose of any advertising - to force you to buy something. According to this purpose also perceive all “creative” attempts, even if they deliberately noncommercial as in such kind they can be especially dangerous. If to follow even only to this piece of advice half of television advertising will not cause in you anything, except for bewilderment.
There is a lot of debates about the impact of advertising on children’s mind. There are people who think that there is some useful information for children in any advertisement that helps their developing mind. Some advertisements are funny and as everybody knows laugh prolongs our life. Children get used to such notions as price, money, work. But I agree with people who think that advertising mostly brings harm for children who take the first steps in their life.