Decoding Media Messages

Advertising is everywhere and, inevitably, children will consume it.  From billboards, newspapers and magazines to television and the Internet, marketers use powerful imagery and messages strictly targeted at children.

“Research shows that reaching kids at a very young age imprints brand identification in a way that – even if the children are too young to buy the product, they’re more likely to remember and trust a brand that they’ve grown up with,” says Shari Graydon, the author of Made You Look: How Advertising Works and Why You Should Know.

Grabbing Kids’ Attention Early

The sky’s the limit when it comes to trying to captivate young audiences who are unaware that making a buck is the bottom line for advertisers.

“Children as young as 18 months can recognize the golden arches and, in one British study from a few years ago, an astonishing number of British kids uttered a brand name for their first spoken word,” says Graydon.

Published in 2003, her book is as relevant as ever. She cites the reasons children are targeted:

• Buying power. In North America, Graydon writes, that children spend more than $100 billion when it comes to clothes, candy, games, videos, music, movies and food. This is reflected in advertising campaigns for junk food, toys and movies that try to grab a child’s attention.
• Nag factor. Advertisers will conduct research to find out what kinds of commercials are most effective when it comes to kids influencing their parent’s decision to buy one pizza over another or to watch a movie.
• Big ticket items. Kids also influence their parents decisions about products like high-end purchases such as computers, vacations and cars
• Brand Loyalty. Advertisers develop “cradle to grave” marketing strategies that will make children lifetime customers.

What do children absorb?

When it comes to what happens when children watch ads, Graydon cites the work of research psychologists:

Kids under 6

• May or not understand that TV isn’t real
• Pay a lot of attention to commercials, which they trust
• Often don’t know the difference between ads and programs, noticing only that the ads are shorter

Kids 6-9

• Pay a lot of attention to commercials
• Can tell the difference between ads and programs
• Begin to recognize the purpose of ads is to persuade

Kids 10-14

• Are less interested in commercials
• Are very aware that the intention of ads, unlike programs, is to persuade
• Can often identify and explain some persuasive techniques used in ads

Go to a Trusted Source

The media is not going away, so it’s about choices. “There’s a profound difference in the programming that a not-for-profit or public broadcasters create versus for-profit broadcasters. There’s no question about that,” says Graydon.

While for-profit broadcasting is underwritten by advertisers with a mandate to make a profit, non-for-profit broadcasters like TVO’s TVOKids and TVOKids.com have a pro-social or educational mandate. 

“Kids under the age of six typically don’t have the cognitive wiring to allow them to discern persuasive intent,” says Graydon of the advertising on for-profit broadcasting. Where it’s available, she says, public broadcasting is “far preferable to commercial broadcasting.”

Co-viewing With Your Children

The best way parents can empower themselves and their children is to watch TV and play video games together. “Co-viewing is most important, so it’s not a good idea to put screens (TV, computers) in kids’ bedrooms,” Graydon says. “You want to know what your kids are watching and engaging with.”

By co-viewing, parents create the opportunity to talk with their children and engage them on their level about what they’re taking away from various programs, websites and games. “It’s a good idea to play video games with your kids, watch their favourite TV shows so you have a basis for a conversation,” Graydon says.

Sparking a Conversation

Adults may know the difference between media depiction and reality, but younger children may need help. So what do you say? Encourage children to contrast media depiction with reality. Graydon says, “Help them identify both explicit and implicit messages and values embedded in programs, music videos, and ads.”

Here are some conversation-starters Graydon suggests:

• What claims are being made about the products? What proof is offered? What kind of appeal is being used?
• What kinds of people, behaviour or attitudes are reflected, celebrated, or rewarded?
• How do their values differ from ours?
• Are the scenarios realistic?
• What would happen if the world operated this way?

It's up to parents to help children navigate the media landscape. Parents can limit screen time to ad-free pro-social television and websites. Parents can also talk regularly with their kids about what they see. Families can turn the screens off and take up a hobby. Above all, Graydon says, "Be a good role model. You're kids aren't only watching TV -- they're watching you."

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