Children, Advertising and Television

            As a five year old boy, I wondered if those cheesy goldfish snacks I saw on the commercial actually smiled back at you. Either way, I still asked my parents to take me to the local Albertson's to purchase a box. It sounds ridiculous now, as a senior at Oakland High .
             School, but I've realized that since then, my thought process and judgment ability has drastically changed from thirteen years ago. Television advertisements have been around for over fifty years and since then have remained the most effective way to get a message out to the public. .
             The first television advertisement was broadcasted in the United States on July 1st, 1941. A large amount of advertising on television has been and is directed towards children, promoting food, beverages, clothes, music, and more. It isn't about the tangible product, but instead about the motive advertisers have underneath it. Various companies purposely target children with .
             these advertisements in hopes of leaving an imprint on their minds; in hopes of selling more products. .
             Children in the United States spend more time watching television that they spend on all other daily activities besides sleeping. Not only are there televisions in households, but are also in the public; such as restaurants, retail stores, and airports. Television advertisers know very well that children represent a very large, loyal, and important group of customers that they must target. However, television advertising direct at children is extremely harmful to their development. A ban on such advertising would better the health of children, improve the relationships between children and parents, and would help end the use of deceptive advertising.
             Television advertisements take advantage of children. It is unethical for advertisers to target children for the simple fact that they do not understand the intent to sell. According to research from the American Psychological Association, children under 8 years of age in the United States are unable to conceive the messages from televised advertising and have a tendency to accept these messages as accurate, veracious, and unbiased (Kunkel).