Negative Impacts of Advertising on Young Americans Essay Example

individual preferences and choices that influence their perceptions of certain products (Moffe 2016, p. 1). Unfortunately, advertising targeting this demographic often promotes unhealthy choices that contribute to obesity, poor nutrition, and even cigarette and alcohol use. Despite the existence of laws regulating advertising on children's programming, teenagers in the US still view over 40,000 ads a year on television alone.

The Impact of media use on children and youth (2003, p.302) states that television viewing decreases playtime and exercise, resulting in reduced physical fitness and increased consumption of high fat and high energy snacks among children. This ultimately leads to obesity. Additionally, Ogden (2012, p. 4) found that prime time commercials promoting unhealthy eating habits contributed to one-third of children and adolescents being overweight or obese in 2009-2010.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) conducted an investigation, as instructed by the Congress, to examine the impact of food marketing on young people. According to the report, 44 companies in the food and beverage industry spent $2.1 billion on advertising specifically targeting children and teenagers. Shockingly, only 4% of these advertisements promoted healthy foods (FTC 2012, p.14). Companies that manufacture confectionery items, ice cream, and breakfast products tend to focus their advertising efforts on kids and adolescents. In contrast, commercials for breakfast cereal aimed at adults and seniors feature soft ballad music, while those targeted towards children incorporate catchy rock music that appeals to a younger audience. As a result of concerns about early exposure to food advertisements contributing to problems like obesity, the marketing industry is facing mounting pressure from society.

Advertisements for food products often exceed recommended levels for a well-balanced diet and nutrition, promoting high-calorie items like

fast foods, sugary cereals, and candies. To address concerns about the negative impact of unhealthy food advertising on young children, the Council of Better Business Bureaus established the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI) in 2006. The CFBAI aims to regulate ads targeting children under 12 years old by encouraging member companies to promote healthier eating choices. However, studies have shown only minor improvements in how foods are marketed to children, particularly in terms of nutritional value (Kunkel 2010, p. 6). Reports from the 2010 White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity and the 2012 IOM recognize this slow progress and stress the need for stronger standards to enhance food marketing aimed at children.

According to McGuire (p. 708), young women may feel inadequate about their bodies when they come across advertisements featuring slim blond women who are portrayed as the epitome of beauty. This feeling arises because they try to compare their own physical attractiveness with that of the models in the ads, which can lead to lower self-esteem if they view themselves as less attractive. Furthermore, teenage girls, especially those who are overweight, often feel discontentment with their bodies after being exposed to images of thin models.

Exposure to advertisements that promote thin role models can lead to eating disorders among women, as it puts pressure on them to emulate these body types and behaviors. This can have negative consequences for their self-esteem. Many women who face this pressure resort to unsafe practices such as drug abuse, bullying, excessive drinking, and engaging in promiscuous sexual behavior. Teenagers, in particular, often seek attention and approval for their physical appearance by involving themselves in sexual activities

with strangers.

Furthermore, teenagers are exposed to over 2000 alcohol commercials every year that reinforce the idea that real men consume beer. Research has shown that increased awareness of alcohol messages among teenagers can lead to early initiation of drinking, higher consumption levels, and heightened health risks.

To effectively address this issue, strict regulations on advertising are necessary (van Dalen, 2006).

415). A study conducted by the University of Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2003 revealed that if alcohol advertisements were completely banned, there could be a potential 24 percent decrease in monthly drinking among teenagers and a 42 percent reduction in binge drinking (Saffer, 2003). Sweden has also experienced a decline in alcohol consumption following the implementation of an alcohol advertising ban.

Conclusion

Despite advertisers' assertions that advertising can drive business growth by influencing young consumers to buy products and services, these brands often exploit this demographic for their own benefit.

Advertisers exploit the vulnerabilities of children and teenagers, targeting their body image concerns and societal perception. These advertisers take advantage of young people's desire to fit in and be seen as attractive by their peers, resulting in increased sales for certain ads. However, this has a negative impact on society and the mental and physical well-being of children and teenagers exposed to these ads on TV and other media.

References

1. Federal Trade Commission. (2012). A review of food marketing to children and adolescents: follow-up report. Impact of media use on children and youth. (2003). Paediatrics & Child Health, 8(5), 301–306.
2. Kunkel, D., McKinley, C., & Wright, P. (2010). The impact of industry self-regulation on the nutritional quality of foods advertised

on television to children.

Children Now. Retrieved from: http://lahealthaction.org/library/adstudy09_report.pdf

2012. Accelerating progress in obesity prevention: solving the weight of the nation. Washington, DC: the National Academies Press. Advances in Nutrition: An International Review Journal, 3(5), 708-709.

L., Carroll, M. D., Kit, B. K., and Flegal, K. M.

The text below provides information about the prevalence of obesity in the United States in 2009-2010 (Powell, L.M., Harris, J.L., & Fox, T., 2012).The text includes information about food marketing and its impact on youth, as well as the effect of advertising on tobacco and alcohol consumption. The sources mentioned are "Food marketing expenditures aimed at youth: putting the numbers in context" published in the American journal of preventive medicine in 2013, and "The Effect of Advertising on Tobacco and Alcohol Consumption" by H. Saffer in the NBER Reporter in 2003.

Retrieved from: http://www.nber.org/reporter/winter04/saffer.html

The article "Global television advertising restrictions: the case of socially sensitive products" by Van Dalen, W. E., & Kuunders, M. M., was published in the International Journal of Advertising, volume 13, issue 4, pages 347-366.

According to A. P. (2006), the current debate on regulation of alcohol marketing and its impact on young people is analyzed in the NORDISK ALKOHOL OCH NARKOTIKATIDSKRIFT article, Volume 23, Issue 6, Page 415.