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The Dark Reality of Advertising to Children

Emilie Mwanza
Image shows a row of brightly coloured PRIME bottles [Advertising to children]

PRIME energy in Morrisons. Featured image courtesy of Henry Cavanagh on Flickr. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode.en

Emilie Mwanza

Children today encounter advertising through various channels, which can increase their exposure to potentially harmful adverts.

These channels include TV, films, social media, online games, and YouTube. And whilst the UK has strict laws on what can and cannot be advertised to the younger generation, the most detrimental material often lurks in plain sight.

According to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), it is illegal to advertise any product that could cause physical or mental harm to children. But these laws have been pushed to the limit in recent years.

Supermarkets and Advertising to Children

Last month, a report released by the Obesity Health Alliance (OHA) and Food Active stated that certain supermarkets in the UK show a ”blatant disregard” for policies surrounding children’s health.

In their survey, they found that around a quarter of the 25 stores visited had potential breaches, with ”less healthy foods” such as sweets, crisps and fizzy drinks placed in ”prime” locations (i.e. entrances, checkouts, and end-of-aisle-displays).

The findings of the survey are concerning, as the OHA states these locations are ”known to tempt consumers to make impulse purchases” resulting in children “pestering parents and boosting sales.” When they spoke to store managers, the OHA also found that in low-compliant stores some staff had been ”left in the dark” and unaware that they should not be placing unhealthy foods in these areas.

The report, called ‘Location, location, location’ comes after the government introduced regulations on the promotion and placement of foods high in fats, salts, and sugar (HFSS) in England in 2022 to help tackle obesity in the UK.

The restrictions which currently only apply to England, came into force on 1 October 2022. There are no current restrictions on HFSS products by location in Scotland, whilst in Wales similar restrictions are due to be implemented by 2025.

Advertising to children through Content Creators

In January 2022, the world saw the launch of popular energy drink, ‘PRIME’, founded by YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI.

The bright colour combinations, eccentric flavours, and endless endorsements from some of YouTube’s best-known stars made it an immediate sensation with younger generation. People talked about it everywhere, especially online, and it quickly sold out in shops across the country. Young people also began posting on social media apps like YouTube and TikTok to share their efforts to find the drink and its range of flavours.

“The drink, as well as its creators, faced a lot of criticism”

But it wasn’t long before fears emerged over the dangerously high levels of caffeine that the energy drink boasted.

PRIME contains 200mg of caffeine in the US and 140mg in the UK – equivalent to around four to six cans of Coke respectively. The drink, as well as its creators, faced a lot of criticism despite indicating on the packaging that PRIME “not recommended for children.”

Vapes and E-cigarettes

Similar to PRIME, the colours and flavours of vapes and E-cigarettes have had a significant appeal to children, despite claims that they are merely designed to help adults quit smoking.

Whilst the popular brand Elfbar was recently forced to drop flavours of its disposable vapes such as Bubble Gum and Cotton Candy, there are still several flavours available on shop shelves that seem perhaps too child-friendly.

There is undeniably an epidemic of teenage vaping within the UK, which is only encouraged by flavours such as Coca-Cola and Blue Razz Lemonade.

Combined with the bright neon colours, there is fear that these sweet and fruity flavours make vaping seem trendier in the minds of young people without addressing the possible long-term consequences.

The way in which vapes and E-cigarettes are currently being promoted is entirely different to the ‘standardised cigarette packing’ that the UK government introduced in 2016. On the government website, it states: ”cigarette packs are the last form of advertising” an idea which also applies directly to vapes and E-cigarettes. This begs the question as to why vapes are allowed to be packaged in such a vibrant way.

Why are children particularly vulnerable to certain types of advertising?

A National Geographic feature looking into talking to children about advertising explains how marketing features can be designed to trigger a response in the brain without the consumer even knowing it.

Paul Bolls, associate dean of research and graduate studies at the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University explains: “Children’s advertising often targets two areas of a child’s brain not quite developed. One is the limbic system which controls our emotional responses. […] The other targeted brain area is the prefrontal cortex, which helps control cognitive behaviour like self-control and decision-making skills.”

“strict adherence to advertising regulations is crucial to mitigate these risks”

As such, in an age where social media advertising is more prevalent than any other, children can be particularly vulnerable. To help children understand the content they are consuming, the ASA advises: “Children should be able to immediately identify marketing messages, including paid advertorials and videos.”

Companies strategically shape their marketing to our perceptions of lifestyle and consumption. When children encounter these influences in potentially detrimental ways, there is a legitimate concern about lasting impacts. Therefore, strict adherence to advertising regulations is crucial to mitigate these risks.

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Featured image courtesy of Henry Cavanagh on Flickr. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.

A trainee multimedia journalist at Univeristy of Central Lancashire and a girl who loves the buzz of breaking news. Tottenham Hotspur through and through.

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