Best Answer
There have been many studies that have looked at the impact of popular media on children’s behavior. The general consensus is that children are significantly impacted by media exposure. Of course, this impact increases when the media in question is an advertisement; the whole purpose of advertising is to bring about a targeted change in the audience. The goal of advertising is to inspire the target audience to want to purchase the goods or supplies. Children’s advertising appears to successfully accomplish that goal; studies reveal that after being exposed to advertising children do want to purchase the items (usually toys and food) featured in the advertising. In addition, children also want to enact the scenarios shown in the advertising, suggesting that advertising not only impacts the toys or food that children want, but also influences how they want to play with toys.
A suggested outline for an essay on this topic would be:
I. Introduction
A. Television advertising
B. Toy advertising
C. Fast food advertising
D. Impacts on purchasing behaviors
E. Impacts on non-purchasing behaviors
F. Thesis statement
II. Television advertising
A. Define
B. Differentiate from other types of advertising
C. Describe the kind of shows that get sponsors who target children
III. Toy advertising
A. Define toys
B. Describe toy advertisements
C. Give details about the types of toys that are advertised
IV. Food advertising
A. Types of food advertised
B. Description of advertisements
C. Nutritional description of foods advertised
V. Impacts of advertising on purchasing behaviors
A. Are children more likely to want advertised toys?
B. Do children have the purchasing power to buy advertised toys?
C. Do these ads also influence parental purchasing behavior?
VI. Impacts of advertising on non-purchasing behaviors
A. Do kids emulate behaviors in advertising
B. How do kids try to encourage their parents to purchase the items?
VII. Conclusion
A. Restate thesis
B. Television advertising
C. Toy advertising
D. Fast food advertising
E. Purchasing behaviors
F. Non-purchasing behaviors
G. Call to action
