Don’t blame Advertising. Blame Parents.

In a recent article in the popular Afrikaans Sunday paper, Rapport, Marlene Malan covered the effect advertising has on children.
This topic has been referenced ad nauseum, but I couldn’t help but question the essence of the article and the featured guests’ interpretation of advertising aimed at the youth. I’d like to highlight a couple of statements and give my personal opinion on this.
Marlene initiates the article by recalling some popular television commercials, among others a carbonated drink promoting and encouraging youngsters to participate in a singing competition.
Another features a very popular sunglass commercial with a sexy blond presenting the youth with the image of being cool and sexy.
Go like there’s no tomorrow, Get in on credit and a host of other catch phrases infiltrate the minds of the youth and persuade them that inner happiness is borne from outer appearances. I have no objections with the crux of this matter, because advertising is meant to influence.
However, advertising is here to stay. And children will be confronted with more direct advertising, greater influencing messages and stronger reference to celebrities as the industry becomes more competitive and product suppliers increase.
Dr. ST Potgieter, a Cape Town guidance counselor believes it will benefit parents to realize that the advertising industry has now become a science. Extreme research is conducted to increase the effect and influential values of advertising.
Ezelle du Plessis, the coordinator: internal communications at the Northlink College in the Western Cape reckons parents are faced with a daily battle against powerful media exposure to the youth.
Mobile marketing, print media with strong reference to idols and celebrities diminishes the importance of basing decisions on social relationships and moral values.
These are valid points, but it’s the undercurrent of the article that annoys me and places a very competitive advertising industry in a bad light.
“Before children can even speak, they start mimicking television commercials. Parents brag about how well their little ones handle a computer long before they can even read.”
It’s odd, but something in this message indicates that it might not be the advertising industry that allows these children to “pollute” their minds with this supposed nonsense.
“Our children’s social manners are also skewed, because they’re constantly occupied by Facebook and Mxit. Where it was previously bad manners to sms in company, it is now acceptable.”
I don’t recall when it was ever acceptable to sms during conversation or when in company of others. The reason kids do this, is simply because they weren’t disciplined. It’s a bad habit and again I fail to see how Facebook or Mxit made these manners acceptable or even constitutes such behaviour.
“Condom advertising carries the message that it’s ok to have sex when you’re young, as long as you do it safely.”
I simply do not recall a single condom commercial (at least on SA television) promoting teenage sex. Most of them are geared toward the prevention of AIDS. If you’re going to engage in sex though, be sure to have protection.
“It might contradict family values, but (advertising) conditions a child to believe that these actions are actually OK.”
“Parents don’t know their children well enough. In addition to that it is the messages that movies and television portray that violence is a problem solver and that material belongings bring happiness.”
We live in a world where advertising, the media and even people from the street have the ability to negatively influence a child. It is up to the parents to educate them in a manner that instills family and moral values.
The real problem here is parents who switch on the television for their children, or buy them expensive mobile phones to keep them busy, while they rush off to their Pilates classes.
“It is easier these days to satisfy a child’s demands borne from advertising, than it is to teach them moral and social values.”
Now that I can believe…

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