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Regulating Advertising for Children: Ethics and Impact on Consumer Behavior

Explore the ethics of regulating advertising for children, considering the impact on consumer behavior and the development of informed decision-making skills. Learn about industry guidelines, cognitive vulnerabilities, and long-term consequences.

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Regulating Advertising for Children: Ethics and Impact on Consumer Behavior

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  1. Ideology of the Marketplace • Why Regulate Advertising: “Some might say that the very idea of regulation of advertising is incompatible with the concept of a free market. In fact, I believe, the opposite is true. One of the fundamentals of a market economy is the free flow of information about goods and services offered for sale ,,and informed consent by consumers.. Mary Azcuenaga, FTC 1997 • Children as vulnerable consumers?

  2. Advertising Standards Code

  3. Ads to Kids Guidelines • The purpose of the Code is to serve as a guide to advertisers and agencies in preparing commercial messages which adequately recognize the special characteristics of the children's audience. Children, especially the very young, live in a world that is part imaginary, part real and sometimes do not distinguish clearly between the two.Children's advertising should respect and not abuse the power of the child's imagination. • The foregoing does not imply a call for the elimination of fantasy in children's advertising. Many childhood possessions become particularly meaningful as they are incorporated into the child's fantasy world and it is natural and appropriate to communicate with this audience in their own terms. But such presentations should not stimulate unreasonable expectations of product or premium performance. • Imitation and exploration have always been part of the child's learning process and the broadcast media now form part of that experience. Discretion and sensitivity will be exercised by the Children's Clearance Committee when reviewing children's advertising, particularly with reference to sex-role stereotyping and violence consistent with the principles of industry broadcast self regulatory codes such as those endorsed by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB), Advertising Standards Canada (ASC) and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). • It is recognized, of course, that it remains the primary responsibility of parents "to instruct a child in the way that he/she should go". The Code and the Guidelines that are issued from time to time are designed to help advertisers avoid making that task more difficult.

  4. Irwin Toys vs Quebec and the ban on marketing to kids under 12 as commercial manipulation • Review of advertising standards: what are the criteria and rationales for regulating commercial speech to children? • a) media are public airwaves (no regulation of commercial speech on the web) • but at the discretion of the broadcaster (Adbuster case challenges this) • b)Commercial Speech: in the public interest: defined by Advertising Standards • a. expresses community values and promotes healthy attitudes • b. does no harm to children • c. is not deceptive or misleading • d. facilitates informed choice in the marketplace

  5. Child Empowerment vs. Corporate Colonization • Are kids vulnerable due to cognitive limitations ? (recognize commercials and make critical readings of information) • Are advertising using deceptive and misleading techniques? (claims and spokespersons) • Are there long term cultural consequences to marketing of children’s products?

  6. Assumption of informed choice • information about products is universally available (vs skewed) • subjects are capable of a risk/ cost/ benefit analysis of their interest in the product • Case of Tobacco Product is harmful Product is addictive Youth not able to make long term health decisions Ads are misleading

  7. Promotional Sanctions for Legal Products

  8. Kids Experience of Gaming

  9. Nick Yee: On-line Gaming • Self-defined addiction • Attempts at control

  10. Flow and Compulsion: DSN -IV • Flow video games designed to administer intense immersive experience • 3 Factors are considered an impulse control disorder: • Frequent, sustained behaviour pattern • give it up other activities to engage it • Commit anti-social transgressions • Feeling out of control, • Tolerance of dose, escalation • Knowledge of problem, unable to manage • Failed attempts to control behaviour • Withdrawal symptoms • 25% of heavy gamers report at least three

  11. Frequent and Heavy Use

  12. The addictive experience EQ addictive CS Addictive Play too often Should do other things

  13. EverCrack

  14. EQ addiction Criteria Displacement Beyond control Loose sleep

  15. Vulnerability to Persuasion in the New Promotional environment: Product placements • Spin-offs and 30 minute commercials • Cross marketing • Viral marketing • Celebrity endorsements • Implied claims • On-line embedded marketing and promotions • Regulatory Environment (knowledge of regulations and right of complaint) Examples: • ads in video games programme/ • Katheryn Montgomery On-line Parental Consent

  16. Cultural Biases: Need for Speed

  17. CONSUMER SOCIALIZATION LITERATURE

  18. John (1999) Research on Consumer Socialization Developmental stages of consumer literacy • 1)What is an ad? Age 5-7 recognize form but what about the economics? Eg tax write offs to tobacco advertisers as business expense • 2)What is its intent? Age 8 state persuade me to buy but what about brand strategies and parable of the one way mirror? Ie cool hunting?

  19. Objects of Desire: Just Can’t Get Enough

  20. Colonization or Liberation of Youth by the Marketplace? • Recognized youth as market • Recognized identity quest • Recognized pleasure and taste • Enfranchized choices in entertainment and discretionary spending • Recognized their role as consumers: their relationship to marketplace

  21. Cool Hunting: The parable of the one way mirror

  22. Work to meet needs Discriminate pain and pleasure Nation, ethnicity, gender Class, roles, norms, Meet needs, pride in achievement, status Manage Self-Esteem Avoid stress and boredom Personal Identity Cultural capital, impression management Manage lifestyle, Growing up Postmodern Modern Identity Postmodern Identity How can I Survive Who am I? Where do I Belong? How can I Be Happy?

  23. Schor Critique: Pathologies of Consumerism • Survival needs money: credit; pester power • Identity: body image; self esteem • Belonging: culture capital; peer pressures; gangs and opposition • Problems of Happiness: depression, inequalities of opportunity; lack of real choice/ diversity due to the biases of corporatized market system

  24. “...the last toy that we bought was that light thing from Disneyland...because he hounded us, actually we did it to keep our sanity.” “constantly nag nag nag ...I gotta have this mom......especially when he is watching the afternoon TV shows...” Nag Factor

  25. The Production of Family Dysfunction: Depression, compulsion and Conflict

  26. Body Image and Self Esteem Binge eating Anorexia Comfort shopping Shopaholics

  27. Fast Food, Sluggish Kids Issues of identity and well being in consumer society http://www.consume.bbk.ac.uk/childconsumer.html

  28. The Obesity Epidemic: USA • Population health: rising rates of overweight and obesity • Fastest Growth Among Child Populations (from 4% to 17% in last 15 years USA) • Changing diet -since 1980’s • Half population more than 30% energy from fat • Caloric intake rises from 2080 to 2347

  29. Globesity Epidemic: Not just an American problem

  30. Fatland: Critser 2003/ Tim Lang 2004 • Fast Food Culture • Global farming • Production and Distribution • Marketing and Advertising • Cultural Issues

  31. Fatland: Who is to Blame for Changing Lifestyles?

  32. Adspends: Markets as Food Promotion Systems

  33. possible effects of food advertising on kids • Exposure: approx 16,000 food ads • Formation of preferences for sweet and fat: discretionary spending and peer pressure • Body ideals/ self esteem: from watching TV idealized characters • Fun food, comfort eating, habitual snacking • Eating while watching: habit in over 70% of homes (40% watch during dinner) • Displacement effects of balanced nutrition • Lack of risk or related knowledge

  34. Fast Food Controversy

  35. TV and Obesity

  36. Is marketing implicated in the epidemic obesity? • 1/3 children are 20% over body fat/ 66% of Adults • Exposure to Fast Food Marketing and discretionary spending? Do overweight children enjoy advertisements for sweet vs healthy breakfast cereals executed in the same way more than normal weight children? • Ie assumed model concerns transfer of affect between ad and cereal. • Dietary shifts and attitudes: comfort eating, fun food, lack of information • The beauty myth - body consciousness and desire for thin-ness and dieting • Sedentary Lifestyle Effects • Reduction in physical activity • Interest in sports and participation • Snacking while watching (Robinson 2001)

  37. Comfort eating

  38. Irresistable Forces

  39. Fun Foods

  40. Fun Food/ Cross Marketing

  41. Advertising Food

  42. Most popular snack products eaten after school, April 2003Base: 629 children aged 7-16 source: BRMB/Mintel 2003

  43. British Survey (Guardian May 10 2003) • 82% want food advertisements regulated • 79% think food manufacturers irresponsible • 45% worried about how healthy the food they eat is • 52% with children under 18 support ban • 78% trust consumer groups

  44. Beware the cynical 10 year old • I’m not lovin it • Don’t they know that food is bad for you • Why don’t people eat them -- is it cause they taste so bad?

  45. Yes I do know that. I also knew that, but I don't care. Cause you can't stop us. Kids outnumber population on earth, ha, ha. No I didn't know that one. You can't control us in our homes with our parents. I will see my uncle. You know some day kids will RULE, RULE I tell you, and when it happens you will be banished I don't think that its ethical that big companies pay actors and other guys to show stuff on their movies. For example, when I watched Spider-man, when Spiderman just gets his powers he is shooting his webs and he gets a Doctor Pepper ™ back. I don't think this is right because if I was watching a movie I really liked and then found out it was trying to get me to buy stuff I would feel cheated. …. in conclusion, the leaders of big companies are morons Cynical or Savvy

  46. Beyond the Canute Complex:commercialization of schooling • Commodification: Coke, lunch etc. • Mediatization: Channel One, Cable in the classroom, Computers • Promotionalization: playgrounds, McTours, Essay contests, branded material, industry curriculum, social marketing, banks

  47. Channel One

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