Analysis Of From Cradle-To-Grave: Advertising Targeting Children

From Cradle-to-Grave: Advertising Targeting Children

Originally few American companies targeted children with their marketing tactics. It wasn’t until the 1980s that advertising directed towards children became very prominent. Some might argue that these intentions are manipulative, as they benefit from children’s naivete. Others acknowledge the necessity of these methods for financial profit. Regardless, it is undeniable that kid’s childhoods are now inseparable from America’s commercialism.

The 1980s, the decade of the child consumer, truly catalyzed advertising directed towards children. During this period, parents didn’t spend much time with their children. Marketers took advantage of this guilt and encouraged parents to try to compensate

In particular, Michael Pertschuk, head of the Federal Trade Commission, was against this practice. He attempted to ban these ads as he thought “children need to be shielded from advertising that preys upon their immaturity” (Schlosser, 2009, p. 192). However, his reaction sparked the outrage of industries such as the National Association of Broadcasters, the Toy Manufacturers of America, and the Association of National Advertisers. These companies are primarily dependent on advertisements catering to children, and so banning these commercial ads would ultimately diminish their sales. Following the threats of these industry groups to sue, the Federal Trade Commission decided that banning commercial ads would be impractical.

Advertising to children has made its way through the various, different types of social media. In recent years the ubiquity of television has been noted. According to Schlosser, “the typical American child spends more time watching television than doing any other activity except sleeping” (p. 193). Ads are inescapable as they are broadcasted on air twenty-four hours a day, and the large majority of the American population has easy access to television. This common exposure of television ads to children fuel their interest in these commercialized

Teachers have noticed a major discrepancy in children’s interest in education, and they claim the source of this to be commercialism. Particularly, “teachers [feel they] are faced with reconciling the values of profit-motivated consumption with those of socially-motivated education” (Nairn, 2009, p. 54). Many argue that the commercial world has an overwhelming influence on the lives of children, which brings into question the corruption of the marketing teams. Parents and teachers alike have noticed the “change in identity” of students and children due to everyday exposure to the marketing tactics. While parents and teachers acknowledge the economic standpoint, they can’t help but notice the change in children’s attitudes. Children are being treated as consumers at the expense of their well-being. The rampant display of commercial ads catering to children demonstrate the lack of children’s identity in this situation. While marketing initially only intended to gain financial profit, it has brought about the “commercialism of childhood” (Nairn, 2009, p. 58). These marketing tactics test moral belief of whether or not it’s morally right to benefit from children who have not yet developed a clear understanding of their