Ads Negating Minds Of Children

Today, where ever we go we see some type of advertising. As time has passed by, more and more ads are being broadcast through many different forms of media. But in the recent times these advertisements have become a growing concern because they are now affecting the younger population. Advertisements were always meant to promote a product or an idea, but overtime advertisers have neglected ethics and views of different cultural groups. Most ads are now targeted at children considering the fact that they are the most vulnerable part of the audience. Advertisers also take advantage of the fact that children can be lured very easily and that parents nowadays hardly have the kind of time to direct their children. These commercial ads are designed in such a way that they capture the attention of children very quickly. We need to identify the adverse effects these ads have on children. Latest advertisements directed at kids have distorted their ability to differentiate between right and wrong; children are becoming more materialistic and giving less importance to values and traditions and have started believing in unreal and fictional ideas.

Subliminal marketing impairs a child's judgmental capabilities. It doesn't help them differentiate between what is right and what is wrong, rather just spurs them further into choosing what might not be in their best interests. For instance, a whisky ad shows a man enjoying himself at a party after he has had a couple of drinks, which may make children feel that they should probably start drinking in order to enjoy themselves and have a good time with friends. Children are naive and hardly know what is right for them. In such a situation, they do what they see, and when they watch something in an advertisement, they tend to imitate what is shown and are tricked into believing that if it has been shown on TV, then it must be right. In most cases children do not develop the ability to determine the extent of truthfulness till the age of eight. Sometimes children cannot distinguish between advertisements and the TV programs which, all the more, gives them the impression that what is being conveyed has to be true. A few ads indirectly show that smoking is "IN" and children want to do it just so that they can be trendy. Advertisements are largely influencing the way children think. Their decision making abilities are affected to a large extent depending on what they see and how they conceive it.

More often, advertising undermines social values, promotes materialism and breeds discontent among children. Many advertisements are over-explicit and vulgar. Over time, cultural values and traditions have faded into the darkness. Some ads show women in bathing suits, and that is not something all cultures would approve of. Children are obviously not getting the right kind of idea about their culture from such ads. What may be accepted by a few cultural groups, maybe unacceptable to some other cultures. Children are becoming extremely materialistic and less importance is now given to one's culture. As kids see more and more products, they feel dissatisfied with their present state. Children are often the target for most advertisers, because they know if they hound at their parents enough they will give in and buy their product, and everyone will be happy. For instance, a child first insists for a Gameboy, and then he wants new games every now and then. Some advertisements have led into ushering of new lifestyles, which may be appreciated by children but do not find social approval. Advertisements sometimes also distort