Levels of Editing

Kathleen Humphrey
Jul 20, 2017 · 1 min read

In the 1970s, market researchers discovered that the youngest children were unable to tell the difference between the television shows they watched and advertisements for products. Because of this discovery, there was an attempt in 1978 to put legal restrictions on television advertisements aimed at young children, but advertisers objected. The industry of marketing to children has been growing steadily since then. Between 1978 and 1998, the amount of money directly spent on children aged four to twelve increased from under three billion dollars a year to almost twenty-five billion dollars and no end in sight. Researchers believe that children in that age group convince their families to spend another two-hundred billion dollars a year. For example, when a young boy convinces his mother to purchase a more expensive computer than she may not have bought otherwise. Marketers are eager to target this young market because it is their job to convince consumers and have money spent.

However, other groups also help marketers figure out the best way to target a young audience. Many child psychologists are now being asked to join market research firms to provide information about successfully reaching children more effectively. Some members of the American Psychological Association lobbied its organization in 2002 to discipline APA members who have helped marketers target children, but the APA has not taken any action. Most psychologists feel that marketers and their advisers have been allowed too much freedom to appeal to children, who cannot make informed decisions about products, but the situation does not seem likely to change.

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