'Stereotyping in Advertisements Viewed by Children'
Janet Hoek & Wendy Sheppard
http://marketing-bulletin.massey.ac.nz/V1/MB_V1_A2_Hoek.pdf
Key Points:
- Children are vulnerable and advertising to them could be seen as taking advantage of this- making them desire things.
- Children learn through observation.
- Television advert characters may act as model's for children that they then learn from.
- Advertisements that use reverse stereotypes succeeded in altering children's attitudes and views on gender in experiments conducted by Courtney & Whipple, suggesting that advertising has the ability to change people's views.
- More males featured in advertisements looked at in experiment
- Gender neutral adverts featured most activity.
- Aggressive behaviour found in boys.
- More male voice-overs than female.
Key Quotes:
- 'Critics argue that advertising directed at children takes advantage of their vulnerability, and makes them want things they do not need.'
- 'they express concern at the effect advertising may have on children's habits and preferences, the role it plays in influencing their sex role and occupational expectations'
- 'Children's behaviour is influenced not only by the instructions they receive from others, but also by their observations of how people in their environment behave.'
- 'products advertised to girls focused on themes of popularity and beauty, while boy-oriented commercials tended to concentrate on power and speed.'
- 'advertisements using reverse stereotypes affected children's attitudes, at least in the short term. This suggests advertising has the power to educate and bring about change, as well as reinforce the status quo.'- a total of 234 advertisements recorded over a week, 40% for toys.
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