Advertising Filtering Into Schools

Have you lately noticed a trend of steady increase in tantrum-throwing sessions by children bawling in supermarkets or stores? NO! Well… nor have I. However, I have noticed another detail added to regular tantrums – cribbing; not because their parents refuse to buy them a pack of chocolates, but instead a pack of specific ‘Cadbury’s Éclairs’.
As almost all parents would admit, advertisements have become the bane in their lives, especially with children vulnerable to their influence. Many have become victims of the ‘consumerist demands’ of their off springs following the barrage of advertisements. Given the similarity between educating and advertising, how different is it for children to distinguish between the two and how susceptible are they, therefore to commercial appeals?
Study has shown that advertising does not directly influence its audience. It may, nonetheless, play an important role in children’s consumer socialisation, teaching them consumer values and ways of expressing them. The impact is deep and long-lasting, as was realised in a survey conducted on youth between the age group of 20-25 years who had complete recollection of products which were marketed to them 8-10 years ago in school. Most of them listed out names of toothpaste samples such as Pepsodent, Close-up and Aquafresh, which distributed free samples of their toothpastes along with attractive game-boards and mouth-hygiene charts.
Free samples of felt-pens alongwith colouring books were also used to lure children into making purchases of those products. Some of them responded that, a particular drawing competition required specific brand colours such as Camel or Fevicryl to be used. Students not possessing these paints were made to make immediate purchase or disqualified from the competition.
A similar incident, but at a larger scale was uncovered in an article published in Mid-Day by Shailesh Bhatia on August 13, 2002 – Mira Road school ‘milking’ students featured the milk distribution programme the school started in June, under the Ryan School Milk Nutrition Programme. Students of St. Xavier’s High School, Shanti Park, Mira Road, don’t only have to study hard to score well, they also have to drink a particular brand of milk supplied by the school, according to the parents.
The brand in question Mimo, produced by the Vijaya company, comes in 200 ml packs on which it is stated that it is meant for school children and not for sale. Parents allege that their children have told them that the school gives primary students an additional 25 marks and secondary students 45 marks (that is, 5 marks extra per subject) for drinking the milk. Parents said the school charges students Rs 110 for plain milk and Rs 120 for flavoured milk per month. A parent said, “The money is collected in cash by the respective class teachers. The school does not issue a receipt for the same.” Another parent remarked, “It is absurd that the school can go to such an extent to promote a brand of milk. School authorities even the differentiate between students by addressing those students who drink the milk as Mimo kids.”
Many parents and critics fear that children are particularly susceptible to commercial appeals because young viewers lack the necessary cognitive skills to defend themselves against what are often highly attractive and skilfully worded persuasive messages. Advertising may also influence a child to buy a particular attractive or highly valued attribute rather than other brands of the same type.
It seems that the better children are able to retain and understand factual and emotional appeals made about products by advertisements, the more they distinguish advertisements. Children exposed to commercials are likely to be socialised into over-materialistic ways.
Other undesirable consequences are that they lead youngsters to pressure parents into purchasing products unnecessarily. The extent to which children ask their parents to buy them things they have seen advertised can vary across items. Researchers agree that children are more likely to make requests for products which are frequently consumed by them, such as breakfast cereals, snacks or sweets, or for products that are of particular interest to them, such as toys or those with special offers.
In the post-liberalisation era, new social values are replacing the age-old traditional ones. The change in the youth behaviour is not only the part of westernisation. The increased economic affluence in urban centres also plays a very prominent role. As purchasing power goes up, families offer more money to their offsprings. “This is a trend of consumerism,” remarks psychologist Dr Regmi. Modern youth lifestyle is expensive and confined to the rich urban youth. The ingress of new trends in urban centres are the result if emerging affluent urban population who can afford modern means of living.
We live in violent times as more and large numbers of cases of extortion continue to rise in the city areas. As their aspirations fail to match opportunities, youngsters in urban areas are taking to crime as a short cut to fulfil their wishes. Unlike older generation, today’s youngsters – those born in late 80s – grew up in different social condition. The materialism dominates their lifestyle and idealism is replaced by money.
A PhD study titled ‘A study of the perceptions of adolescents regarding the influence of advertisements on selected aspects of their lives’ was formed on the basis of data collected from 1248 English-medium school children from Vadodara. The study took into account the responses of 100 school children in classes eight, nine and eleven. It was conducted by Ritu Bhatia, who revealed how the impact of advertisements on lifestyles, habits, behaviour, emotions and thinking patterns of the adolescents was enormous. The in-depth study took into account four areas of influence – the social, cultural, educational and emotional life.
While the study concedes that most advertisements have pushed children towards a consumer culture, exposed them to violence and influences that are harmful to the interests of the society, it also portrays the positive role that advertisements play in educating children. “Advertisements have also had a high impact on the educational aspects of the adolescent’s life. Those who criticise advertisements would also concede that some commercials and ads for social causes are informative, resourceful and absorbing, and they should be endorsed by keeping society’s and adolescents best interests foremost in mind,” says Bhatia in one of her remarks.
Parental intervention plays a prime role. The position of parents and society is illustrated by the fact that a product which is unacceptable to the parent will actually be vetoed there are many examples of products [e.g. new sweets] which failed to establish a market among children despite being heavily advertised. Parents should raise their voice against the exaggeration of ads, and the exposure to vulgarity, aggression and limitless cravings, but they should also take the initiative to shape the child’s attitude towards advertisement and its content. Research has further revealed that in families where the advertisements are questioned and criticised for their stereotypes, manoeuvres and therefore be geared to help the child think, evaluate and question the media messages. Parents should help the adolescent children to resist advertisement by explaining the purpose of commercials to them and explain that they are made to make people want things they may not need.
Even if advertising can persuade children to try out a new product on one occasion, the product itself will have to provided the necessary reasons for the child to buy it again. If the product fails to meet the child’s expectations, it will not be bought the second time, regardless of the total amount of advertising devoted to it.