The Impact of Advertising on Students

There is a direct connection between a society's levels of exposure to advertising and the levels of consumption. It teaches us that buying products can fulfill our deepest needs, at the same time that it hides the conditions under which those products are made as well as the environmental consequences of endless consumption.

Darren Brown: YouTube video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyQjr1YL0zg

Question:

If two adults who create advertising are as susceptible to subliminal suggestion as indicated by this video, how do you think advertising affects your peer group? Turn to the person next to you and talk about this question for two minutes.

Advertising and marketing messages are inundating children and teens and significantly contributing to some of the biggest problems facing teens today.

advertising aimed specifically at children = $17 billion/yearteenagers spending = $155 billion/year children younger than 12 spending = $25 billion/yearboth groups influence = app.$200 billion of parents’ spending/year

The average American teen:views more than 3000 ads/day

sees 40,000 ads on TV/yearwill have viewed app. 360 000 ads on TV before graduation

½ are food commercials

Greater exposure to alcohol advertising contributes to an increase in drinking among underage youth. For each additional ad a young person sees they drink 1% more. 2000 of the 30 000 ads young people see each year are for alcohol.

Research indicates that appearance-oriented media are immensely popular among young people and can produce and sustain body dissatisfaction.

I think advertising is not only a form of education it's one of the most powerful forms of education in our society, and one of the reasons that it's so powerful is that it is not considered educational.

Jean Kilbourne Lecturer, featured in the video, Still Killing Us Softly

That's one of advertisement's most brilliant accomplishments, to get us to believe that we're not affected by advertising.

Bernard McGrane Chapman University

Question:

Do you think advertising is a form of education?Why or why not? Turn to the person next to you and talk about this question for 2 minutes.

It is important to develop your ability to think critically and independently about the messages we get from media, and to spread awareness among your peers.