Young children are the most vulnerable to advertising. They are the most susceptible because their minds are immature and are unable to distinguish good advertising versus bad advertising. Television commercials have an enormous impact on young children today. Commercials are one of the main forms of advertisement and many of these commercials are geared towards younger ages.Patricia Mullenbrock presented interesting statistics in class regarding how the media can affect children's health. According to her research, children watch around 10,000 food advertisements per year on television. The majority of these advertisements are for junk f ...view middle of the document...
Children are becoming more materialistic, spoiled and even violent. Children feel they need expensive brands of clothing and the newest toys to fit in with their piers. Parents overextend their budget to satisfy their children's requests. They become aggressive due to violent video games they see on television and play in their homes.These commercials and negative advertisements can have an effect on a child's behavior in school. A child who has a great deal of aggression is more likely to act out during class time. Their poor behavior can affect their performance in the classroom. Many of these children are not able to work collaboratively with their fellow students. This can create an issue for the teacher as well as the rest of the students in the class.Parents need to take control of the situation and limit their child's exposure to negative advertising and programming. Restricting the amount and types of programs children watch is probably the most effective and common means of mediation for children. Parents should ensure that their child does not spend an excessive amount of time watching television. They should focus on other activities, such as playing with friends, exercising, and reading. Teachers should also play a role while in the classroom. The students should be informed about healthy meals and snacks, educational programming, and even basic hygiene. If parents and schools played a more active role in these children's lives, it would help mold them into better citizens and play a more active role in our society.
