Enough, Stop! I think you get the point.

On average a child watches 20,000 to 40,000 commercials a year(6) and is inundated with persuasive ads, which contain foods full of sugar, fat, and salt. What makes a child excited to experience such delicious, processed delicacies? There is something about the way the food is presented, the catchy slogans, and entertainment that are shown in the thirty-second segments, which grasp their attention. This is exactly what the advertisement is trying to do. It obtains a child's interest and then persuades them to buy the product. The persuasive techniques used in television food advertising do influence what kids eat and becomes a factor in their deteriorating health.

Children are surrounded by a society flooded with quick, easy, cheap and processed foods, which are readily available for the family on the run. They learn to want these foods by receiving them at home and school. Yet, a major reason in which a child desires a product comes from what is fed to them through television. Commercials make children aware of a "popular" product. Children see the exciting product that promises a lot of flavor and fun, and know that they have to try it. Tufts University Diet and Nutrition Letter states, "if you sit down and watch Saturday morning cartoons, the greatest number of food advertisements will consist of candy, cereals, fast food, and soda pop. Everything that is advertised contains a massive amount of sugar or fat."(14)

The consumption of fast food and sugar cereals has changed the American child's diet. In the last decade, child obesity has increased to dangerous levels. According to CBS News, 23 percent - approximately one in four American children - are obese. This percentage has almost doubled since the 1960's.(3) Along with the increase in obesity, it is not a coincidence that childhood diabetes is also on the rise. Dr. Robin S. Goland, co-director of the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, has said, "With the numbers we are starting to see, this could be the beginning of an epidemic."(13) These health problems can damage the health of children for years to come.

In order to help avoid such health problems, advertisers should change the prominent diet they are marketing to kids. It is through their swaying techniques that kids are tempted to taste these products. I should clarify that I am not saying persuasive commercials are the only factor in the increasing rate of unhealthy kids; but it is definitely a strong factor.

Without the appeal of television commercials, a child's cravings for fat and sugar will never be dominant. Such tastes can be limited or never tried. It is a rare occurrence to discover a child who does not desire the processed flavor, instead of the nutritious substance. My nephew, David, is one of the rare cases who hated chocolate at a young age and preferred carrot sticks. This was because there was a monitored influence from his mother. She did not allow certain foods into the home, and David did not watch television. Once he became four years old, things changed. David was placed in daycare and started watching television commercials, which persuaded him to develop an interest in the products. His days, which were free of sugar and fat, were over. He now enjoys the processed flavors most of us do; though, it is in moderation.

Why is it important for advertisers to reach kids? "There are currently 56 million Americans from the ages of 0-13".(13) For those of you counting, this demographic group spent "$29 billion,during the year 2000".(9) Gary Ruskin, a child psychologist, explains that children are a booming market. "It's not slowing down," says Ruskin; "Children are the largest and fastest-growing market for consumption".(15) They are learning at a young age how to be consumers, by having a vast amount of spending power.

Children are making a lot of money because of family allowances, neighborhood jobs, or relatives sending funds. They are receiving more money to spend; yet, they are not old enough to understand the complete purpose of it. James U. McNeal, professor of marketing at Texas A&M University, says, "Children represent three different strategies for money. For one thing, children have money of their own to spend. But they also influence family spending decisions, and they're open to advertising campaigns designed to make them future consumers".(15) Children can bring a lot of economic pull to the market for producers and advertisers.

The growing rate of young consumers has increased the necessities of spending more advertising dollars to persuade them. "More than $2 billion dollars is spent annually on advertising to kids".(6) With the recognition of their buying power, advertising has become extremely competitive, knowing that children can make or break the industry.

There are three stages to the buying power children have on the industry. It starts out with the influence of a commercial to tell the child to buy the product, who persuades the parent. In the second stage, parents consider buying the product for the wanting child. The third stage is when the attitudes that originated with the advertising and purchase behavior determine the future purchasing of the product. In order for this process to take place, the messages received by the child must sway him/her to want the product.

How do advertisers influence a child's buying behavior? At first, it is not the desire for a food, which has never been tasted, but the information displayed on the screen reaches the child showing him/her that eating such a product will make them happy. It is the sight of bright colors, quick frames and exciting voices, which promise a fun time. The products are idealistically portrayed to capture a child.

Advertisers have a strong advantage over young consumers. Children are easy to persuade. They will often believe what is said in a commercial to be absolute truth. Young children especially do not understand the motives of advertising, and they cannot critically distinguish which products are good for them.

The inability to make this distinction is why it is important to grab a child's loyalty while they are still very young. Children can become lifetime customers. "If you own this child at an early age, you can own this child for years to come," explains Mike Searles, President of Kids-R-Us, a major children's clothing store.(13) Wayne Chilicki, a General Mills executive agrees with this statement. "When it comes to targeting kid consumers, we at General Mills follow the Proctor and Gamble model of 'cradle to grave'. We believe in getting them early and having them for life".(13) Young children can become faithful consumers through their learning environment, which is a society packed with commercials.

"Recent studies have shown that by the time children are 36 months old, American children recognize an average of 100 brand logos".(15) Children understand the need to buy at a young age. This makes it important to provide likeable and lovable commercials, which contain recognizable symbols.

Psychologist Dan Acuff in his book, "What Kids Buy and Why", gives advice to marketers on advertising to two-year olds. Manipulating children is very prevalent in advertising; therefore, many seek out professionals. They know what can be potentially applied to reach kids. Though this practice has been around for many years, it is starting to reach epidemic levels. Allen Kanner Ph.D. says, "The result is an enormous advertising and marketing onslaught that comprises, arguably, the largest single psychological project ever undertaken".(15) It is a way to get ahead and produce the finest ad, but it is a questionable means of doing business.

Barry Ornstein, senior researcher at Hill Holiday Connors Cosmopoulos in Boston, has a different view, "We are in the business of manipulating people, and the question is, are we going to manipulate them in a good way or a bad way? You cannot separate psychology from what we do in advertising research. How can you do research without a psychological component? And, like any tool, psychology can be used well or badly".(15) The underlying psychological techniques used are often unknown to many people. It is a great aid in the art of advertising, proving that selling products to children is immensely important.

Yet, why is there so much emphasis on advertising processed foods? What is the systemic force that drives advertisers to sell and consumers to buy these substances that lack nutritional value?

There was once a time when good health could come from home-cooked meals and sack lunches. Women would spend their time at home preparing healthy meals for their families. It was even an era of social dining. Much contemplation would take place to create a magnificent meal. The exquisite flavors that would be presented were a sign of great prosperity. Friends and family would take the time to sit down and savor the fresh substance. Life moved at a leisurely pace.

As society reached the age of modernity, a great desire for an efficient and fast-paced lifestyle became essential. Through the progression of the last several generations, society has become vastly complex. The continual advancement in technology has produced a need for efficiency. The western world especially has a great need for speed. In McDonaldization of Society, George Ritzer claims, "The more we encounter efficiency, the more of it we crave. As a result we often end up clamoring for that which may not be in our best interests".(12) Faster does not necessarily mean something is better or more competent. Many believe that the use of time should be filled with important and necessary tasks; yet, they ignore the need to slow down.

The development in cooking technology seems to never be fast enough. The introduction of cooking tools made meal preparation faster. Stoves, freezers, refrigerators, and microwaves, made storing and preparing food much easier than the past inefficient ways of hunting and gathering. There is no need to start from scratch. All a person needs to do is prepare a grocery list and go to the store. Yet, the same problem still subsists. There is no sufficient time to cook. Our society wants to eat on the run.

One must run to keep up with a constant changing world. Modernity keeps a person busy and running at a pace that may go beyond one's actual strength. Our lives have become intricate; therefore, basic means of survival must be undemanding.

Through the industrial and modern age, there has been a drastic change in the production of food. Foods are mass-produced in an assembly line, packed with preservatives, and man-made flavoring. The mass production of food lacks the basic nutritional substance. Children are not receiving the proper nutrients, which give them the ability to move in an increasingly brisk world.

Author, George Ritzer, recognizes that society has a great desire for "fast-food". Parents struggle to keep up with work and home; therefore, they must find easy options in obtaining tolerable substance. He explains, "McDonald's offers the best available way to get from being hungry to being full".(12) This is applied to any food that can be easily attained. Any food that can be opened, nuked and eaten can become the easiest way to get full.

Children are growing up in this rapid society, and their peers give examples of how one must keep up. They illustrate what is considered to be of most importance. Children learn to be impatient, and faster than a speeding bullet. They are being taught that if you want to stay ahead in the world, there is no time to delay. Children realize that everything must be done on the go, and if something is not moving at a quick pace, impatience appears. There is no need to wait and endure when everything comes to you at lightning speed.

Kids want to play, be free of authority, hurry day-to-day events, a life full of variety, and to be grown-up. Integrating these desires into ads, allows the child to relate to the commercial displaying such situations. The idea is to challenge a child's self-esteem. They must feel that the product is a necessity in order to be "cool".

I can personally relate to feeling like a "loser", when I was growing up. I wanted to jump on the bandwagon, and eat like everyone else. All the kids in school had the newest food products that were advertised on television. I felt like an outcast at lunchtime, because I was deprived of the popular food products advertised on TV.

My mother did not allow cereals, candy (or anything filled with sugar), or any processed foods in our home. My diet would consist of fresh meals and the healthiest, unknown-brand cereals from the health food store. My friends at school would have lunches with soda, candy, cookies, white bread and bologna. I would be embarrassed to whip out my whole-wheat vegetable sandwiches and celery sticks. Often lunches consisted of some strange creation my mother would have tried out for dinner the night before. (Editor's Note: "Uh...Excuse Me...???"). I remember standing in line at the grocery store and feeling like I had finally joined mainstream society, when my mom allowed me to buy a popular cereal that had only three grams of sugar.

I was never able to completely join the crowd, and the embarrassment at school lasted for much of my adolescent years. In the end though, I did turn out just fine without joining the bandwagon. At least, I think I did.

(Next Month: The continuation of this report and advertising techniques that parents need to be aware of, which are used to entice young children towards poor eating habits that could easily last a lifetime.)

Bibliography

(1) Anderson, Robin and Lance Strate, eds. "Critical Studies in Media Commercialism." Oxford: NY, 2000.

(2) "Advertising Strategies" Media Awareness Network. 9 Mar. 2002. www.media-awareness.ca.

(3) "Fast Food, Fat Children". CBSNEWS.com. (21 April 2001). 14 Mar. 2002. www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/04/21/eveningnews/main287029.shtml.

(4) Fox, Roy F. "Harvesting Minds: How T.V. Commercials Control Kids." Praeger: CT, 1996.

(5) Jones, John Phillip, ed. "The Advertising Business." Sage: CA, 1999.

(6) "Just the Facts about Advertising and Marketing to Children". The Center for a New American Dream. 6 Feb. 2002. www.newdream.org/campaign/kids/facts.html.

(7) Kanner, Allen D. PhD and Tim Kasser, PhD. "Stuffing Our Kids: Should Psychologists Help Advertisers Manipulate Children?" The California Psychologist. 6 Feb. 2002. www.commercialalert.org/psychology/apalet.html.

(8) McNeal, James U. "Kids As Customers" Lexington Books: NY, 1992.

(9) O'Mara, Sheila. "Kids a Powerful Market Force". Home Accents Today. (July 2001). 2 Mar. 2002. www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m0BCU/7-16/76842751/print.jhtml.

(10) Packard, Vance. "Our Endangered Children: Growing Up in a Changing World." Little, Brown and Company: MA, 1983.

(11) Parkay Fun Squeeze Commercial. KFVE, Hawaii. 9 Mar. 2002.

(12) Ritzer, George. "The McDonaldization of Society." Pine Forge Press: MA, 2000.

(13) Ruskin, Gary "Why They Whine : How Corporations Prey On Our Children" www.mothering.com/10-0-0/html/10-3-0/10-3-whine97.shtml

(14) "Target Market". Child’s Play Communications. 1 Mar. 2002 www.childsplaypr.com/target.html.

(15) "TV Food Ads Feed Kids the Wrong Message". Tufts University and Nutrition Letter. 12:11 (Jan. 1995): 7. Academic Search Elite. Online. 14 Feb. 2002.

(16) Zoll, Miriam H. "Psychologists Challenge Ethics of Marketing to Children". American News Service. (5 April 2000). 6 Feb. 2002. www.mediachannel.org/originals/kidsell.shtml.