The Predatory Pixel

The following is an accurate description of harmful trends in media and advertising on our children. Reader discretion is advised, as some material may be considered disturbing to sensitive readers... Or any parent.

The media is becoming more and more influential on the minds, self-esteem, and overall emotional well being of our children, particularly young girls. While issues surrounding how the media's portrayal of perfection does its part to spread eating disorders all over the world, it goes beyond that. Celebrities, advertisements, television shows, and other role models for young children push the limit on what is age appropriate. The most obvious effect is the deletion of the 'pre-teen' generation of childhood, and the transition period it was for us growing up.. Today, children make a drastic jump from childhood to teenagers, whereas teens emulate adult behavior. Where is their childhood going?

It's not hard to imagine why the role media plays on children's development is intensifying, but exactly how these kids are being affected is what is shocking. The statistics alone are indicative of a growing problem. The American child spends on average, twice as much time watching television in one week than they spend at school in the same five days. Children spend about 13 years in school before graduating as young adults; regardless, studies show that these individuals will have learned more about life - and applied it to their own - from the media, over any other manner, including family, religious organizations, friends, schools, etc.

One of the most influential media in children's daily lives is advertising. A child sees on average, 3,000 advertisements during one typical day, and over 40,000 TV commercials in a year. They are essentially being force-fed materialism by the gallons. Every aspect of their lives will be touched in some way or another by advertising targeted directly at them. In the morning, the breakfast foods they eat are packaged in, shaped like, or promoted by something that advertisers know children will notice. Advertisers purposely target children, rather than the parents who are most likely the ones actually purchasing the products, because they bank on the fact that kids will persuade their parents to buy what appeals to them. The latest trend is product placement in textbooks, even as young as the elementary level. A fraction of those 3,000 ads that children see daily are found in their very own schools. For most people reading this, the elementary and intermediate schools from our age didn't have Coke machines in the cafeteria. The practice of encouraging such an unhealthy item and making it easily accessible in schools was uncommon. Today, more and more schools are cashing in on placing Coke machines in their hallways; It's not as if they care about curing the dehydration of students. By the promotion and endorsement of a corporation's product in such a populated environment, the school makes more money.

Then there's violence. The media uses it for the obvious benefits, that being its eye-catching appeal, shock factor, and for growing a sense of intensity within a plot. Adults have the cognitive ability to differentiate between movie magic and unrealistic situations, but kids take what they see at face value - and they see over 10,000 acts of violence annually on television. Should we really wonder why children are becoming rougher around the edges? Television contradicts every value parents generally try to instill in their children; it often uses violence as a way to resolve a conflict. A parent can tell a child every day that 'violence is not the answer'; but over a hundred times in 24 hours, media will tell them that it is. Children are caught in a contradiction between what they see in the media, and what they learn in their home life and at school. Without the ability to separate movie magic from reality and its consequences, it's easy to see why behavioral problems are a growing problem.

The advertising industry has spent more than $2 billion on advertising targeted at children, a significant increase from the $100 million in 1990. Who helps these agencies most effectively appeal to a child? Children's psychologists. You read that right. These highly paid researchers who devote years to studying exactly what makes children 'tick' are the same trusted professionals that claim to revolve their livelihood around improving children's emotional and mental well being. Children are analyzed down to every fiber of their being; Their behavior, dreams, lives, art work, aesthetic preferences, and more are all studied and compiled into the most effective ways to get into a kid's psyche. It's the most despicable twist on nature's unfortunate tendency to 'prey on the vulnerabilities'.

What makes this worse, is that children are not just targeted for the promotion of children's products. Companies of all industries realize that brand loyalty is strongest when it is started young. Whether it is through the use of characters in a commercial, the composition of print ads, logos, or other visual aspects of advertising, are all manipulated by the companies trying to sell the brand itself. Children recognize logos and mascots as young as six months. If companies are consistent and successful at creating a lasting image in the minds of young children, they are more likely to be loyal to - even if unexplainably to themselves - the brand when they are of the age to purchase on their own.

Personal Health columnist Jane E. Brody says that the physical health of adolescent girls is endangered by the "stereotypical waiflike image" in media and advertising, in that this triggers them to strive to achieve this unrealistic goal. In a column published in 1997, she went as far as to say, "The adults who design and publish the advertising campaigns that propagate the waiflike image in order to sell their products are guilty of child abuse."

There's also the major issue surrounding the unfortunate fact that 'sex sells'. Based on what they see in advertisements that promote their favorite brands and clothing, the television shows whose characters they try to emulate, all pick up on the message that to be sexually attractive is to be loved and accepted.

Between the ages of two and five, children are unable to differentiate between regular TV programming and commercials, and it is not until they are around eight years old that they understand that advertisements are not always true or completely factual. This makes particularly scary the fact that many companies state in their marketing plans to target children as young as age six with pre-teen aged material. The age of the 'pre-teen years', according to pediatricians, is around the age of twelve. Or rather, it used to be. This day in age, children go from being typical free-spirited children to provocative, impressionable, materialistic teenagers. According to a branding expert, 80% of global brands now utilize a "tween strategy." This means that your six year old daughter is being target by media promoting products meant for teenagers as old as 16.

In Canada, the problem lies most in the exaggeration of the product itself in toy advertising, instead of the embellishment of the product's effects on a person, as it is in the U.S. The way a toy is presented leads children to believe it does a lot more than it really can. For example: Remember those red Radio-Flyer wagons? I'm tempted to take a public poll to see how many adults sat in those wagons as four year olds in hopes of taking off. Such concerns have led to some jurisdictions to ban advertising to children completely. Quebec banned all print and broadcast advertising aimed at children under thirteen; Sweden banned ads aimed a children under 12, and Europe is taking steps towards adopting the same policy.

There are benefits that will result from these actions. False advertising and ads that are damaging to a child's sense of self worth and self image, and those that are detrimental to their values and cause materialism by glamorizing a product, all have been proven in studies to lead to narcissistic personalities, a sense of entitlement and dissatisfaction with life in children as they get older.

Pre-teens aren't the only demographic that are targeted unethically by agencies. In recent years, the zero to three year old demographic has been increasingly targeted by commercials for programs such as Barney, Teletubbies, and other companies - mainly those within the media or entertainment industry. It was not always a concern, as the general misconception was that children ages zero to three cannot comprehend what they are being told through advertising. However, reality case is the exact opposite. Even at such a young age, children are capable of understanding brands and the ability to identify them based on visual aspects. One study showed that more two and three year olds recognized the face of Ronald McDonald over the most commonly seen face of Jesus Christ. It's easy to play the devil's advocate when responding to such a study, as it is unfair to expect as many families in the United States to practice Christianity as much as they would visit McDonalds. Unfortunately, Ronald McDonald was recognized over many public figures, even in kindergarten through third graders, when shown Ronald McDonald's image next to the current president of the United States.

An example of the distasteful advertising that is causing a stir throughout many countries is the packaging for an action figure, labeled for use by children ages four and up. The packaging read, "join in the blood bath" - a Nintendo version of the game, one that is even rated M (17 and up.) For something rated 'mature', it was marketed an awfully lot to young children who, according to their claims, are too young to play the game.

The agencies' direct target of the advertisements is more to blame for the repercussions of this shift in marketing, than the products themselves. Michael Brody, M.D., a child psychiatrist, explains, "Advertisers of children's television used to appeal to the parents but now they appeal directly to children -- who do not have the emotional or cognitive tools to evaluate what's being sold to them. Kids are being targeted in unsuspected places. A growing trend for marketing research companies is to hold conversations with children in internet chat rooms, asking questions that probe into the minds of the age group, under the guise of simply having a friendly discussion. This takes 'internet-predator' fears to a different level.

Unfortunately, the reality is that these conditions are unlikely to make any changes in the industry anytime soon. The advertising won't change, but it doesn't mean that our children have to fall victim to the harmful messages. More helpful now than trying to ban the advertising tactics, is educating society on the dangers kids face, and debunking common misconceptions about how children are affected. Just as dangerous as the advertising are the myths believed by families worldwide who don't consider the issue to be threatening.

· Myth: Children can tell when they are being conned. The reality is that children don't understand the true intentions of advertising. Educated adults are still conned by ads.

· Myth: Ads help children decide what food is good for them. McDonalds ads alone should be enough evidence to disprove this myth. Ads do a great job of showing children what is fun, or 'cool', to eat. Most do nothing to encourage proper nutrition. In fact, the majority of foods advertised for children are fast food, processed foods, and sugary snacks.

· Myth: Children will learn to deal with the ads, or they will 'become immune to the messages.' Research shows that kids who are exposed to ads on a regular basis are more adversely affected than those whose exposure is limited.

· Myth: Advertisements help children decide which toys to buy. Ads feature the products that a company is currently trying to sell. As soon as the next guaranteed moneymaker is developed, it will be the next 'must-have item.' On the contrary, products that are beneficial to a child's mental and emotional development are not advertised on TV. Imagination, learning, and healthy development are not considered great selling points. It is also unwise for a child to believe that the children featured in a commercial with a particular product actually represent the appropriate age group the product is designed for.

Children use very little rationale and rely on visual impressions when analyzing a commercial. The seven year old child who sees a commercial featuring a seven year old girl with a product clearly meant for pre-teen and teenagers, or with inappropriate, superficial values, isn't going to think twice about whether or not that product is appropriate for them.

Amid all of the startling statistics regarding advertising and children, there is still the occasional refreshing factoid. A 2004 New American Dream poll showed that 57% of children age 9-14 would rather do something fun with a parent than go to the mall. Marketing can target children, but parents, guardians, and teachers still have the advantage by being able to offer other forms of media for children, such as surrealist films, conceptual art exhibits, group gatherings for shared interests in the community, and more. Children can't hide from the media, but with responsible guidance and a positive example to follow, they have the chance to resist it.