Question

What are the concerns associated with marketing to children? Discuss the significance of the Children's Television ACT.

Answer 1

The major concerns associated with marketing to children are:

Materialism- Advertising aims at making people think that their lives would be incomplete without a particular product. This type of excessive materialism can harm the development of children's self-image and values. Their identities become defined by their consumer habits because of the materialistic importance that the advertisements bring upon products.

Junk Food Advertising and Nutrition Concerns- Fast food chains spend extensively on their advertising, which is mainly aimed at children. These advertisements on fast food, soft drinks, candy and pre-sweetened cereals are mainly done through traditional commercials on TV. The result of this aggressive advertising of junk food is raising concerns about obesity among the young population.

Marketing Toys based on Teen and Adult Entertainment- Another common industry practice of advertising toys for young children is the use of restricted movies and mature-rated video games. These affect the young minds of the children, which in turn might have an impact on their innocence at such an early age.

The Children’s Television Act is significant in reducing the negative impact of advertising with the help of its three fundamental features. It restricts the time of advertising during children programmes, requires broadcasters to air programmes for the benefit of children and informs them that complying with these restrictions is mandatory for telecasting programmes in the public interest. This act has helped with advertising restrictions that limit the time of advertisements during children-based broadcasts. Furthermore, it encourages advertisers to considers characteristics of children while making programming and advertising decisions

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