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Vulnerability of Children on Internet
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1.0 PART A: VULNERABILITY OF CHILDREN TO INTERNET ADVERTISING The internet-related advertising topic chosen for this report is the vulnerability of children to advertising on the Internet. This topic was originally suggested by Anu and was considered interesting because it is a contemporary issue, with growing importance due to the rapid change of technology in society. 1.1 HOW THE TOPIC WAS FOUND A number of different topics were considered before advertising to children was chosen, such topics included: • Internet advertising aimed towards women • Internet advertising aimed towards men • “Silver surfers” – internet advertising aimed towards the older generation Internet advertising aimed towards children was eventually chosen because it was not being covered by another research group (other groups had chosen advertising towards women) and enough literature on the topic could be found to successfully complete the report (there was the concern that there would not be enough information about silver surfers). After searching a number of online journal databases (such as findarticles.com, Factiva and ABI Informit) it was found that a number of the articles about using the Internet to advertise to children focused on the vulnerability of children. This issue mainly focused on a child’s inability to clearly distinguish between content and advertising and the way in which advertisers were taking advantage of this. 1.2 IMPORTANCE OF THIS ISSUE This topic is important because it is a new issue in the market due to the growing importance of children as not only an influence in the decision making process, but also a consumer group independently, “Young children are increasingly the target of advertising and marketing because of the amount of money they spend themselves, the influence they have on their parents spending (the nag factor) and because of the money they will spend when they grow up” (Beder 1998, pp. 101-111). The use of the Internet as an advertising medium is also a new concept, with the full extent of its effectiveness yet to be determined. Thus this area is important as it has not been fully investigated and such research would not only be interesting but also enlightening as to how this new medium affects this increasingly important consumer group, “This is a medium for advertisers that is unprecedented... there's probably no other product or service that we can think of that is like it in terms of capturing kids' interest” (Beder 1998, p.2). The ethical implications surrounding this issue are also important. There has always been debate around advertising methods aimed towards children because “Children lack the analytical abilities and judgement of adults” (Austin & Reed 1999 p.595). Much controversy has been based around advertisers using such vulnerability to their advantage. This debate is heightened with the introduction of the Internet as an advertising medium, as the division between content and promotional material is often unclear. “Familiar and unfamiliar forms of adverts are springing up, increasing the commercial pressure on users, including children” (Borch nd. P.1) Through outlining how children react to and are affected by Internet advertising guidelines can be created and practices redefined in order to provide protection to this consumer group. 1.3 COMPARISON TO NON-INTERNET COUNTERPART Advertising to children on the Internet has both similarities and differences to traditional methods of advertising. In all advertising mediums there has been controversy when the target group is children. This has much to do with the idea that despite different advertising methods used children are less able identify the selling element in an advertisement, “'The notion that children do not understand the selling intent of commercials has been the most widely publicized "fact" about children and advertising” (Anon 2001 p.1). Such a public concern links all advertising mediums when considering the vulnerability of children. The current controversy surrounding internet advertising aimed towards children is reminiscent of the concern expressed when television advertising started targeting children. Similar to print advertising the messages on the Internet can be focused towards particular consumer groups through ad placement in a particular environment. The Internet also allows advertisers to communicate their messages on both an audio and visual level. This aligns with the effectiveness of television advertising. The major difference with advertising on the Internet is the level of interaction from the consumer, “it provides strong potential for increasing customer involvement and satisfaction and almost immediate feedback for buyers and sellers” (Belch & Belch 2001, p. 516). The Internet is seen as the most interactive medium with users choosing to participate i.e. surfing the net, emails games. The Internet is also considered to allow for a more prolonged exposure to the audience e.g. A user may stay on the Internet for at least 20 minutes with the advertisements present, as opposed to viewing a 20-second television commercial. Advertisements on the Internet can be said to have a longer life than those on other mediums. Another major difference between the Internet and other advertising mediums is the ability for the Internet to not only be a source of communication but also a “transaction and distribution channel” (Hairong 2002). This means consumers are now able to order and pay for a product which has been advertised at the same time and at the one location. The rapidly changing nature of technology is also seen to differentiate the Internet as an advertising medium. The Internet is the only medium that is expected to continue to change dramatically as technology changes. This provides future opportunities for advertising to reach consumers on different levels and in different settings. The increased interactivity of the Internet has also raised ethical issues different from those found when using other traditional advertising mediums. The major concern focuses on the ability for the advertiser to blur the distinction between content and advertising on the Internet. This difference has brought new controversy to the area and also forced consumers to become more educated “Internet savvy” in terms of distinguishing the difference. The internet also brings a new perspective to the idea of advertising regulation. Traditional methods such as TV, print advertising and radio have to conform to the Australian Advertising Codes. These codes ensure a standard is maintained within the advertising and takes actions to protect the consumer. As the internet is a global communications medium, enforcing such guidelines on internet advertising is difficult. Major issues focus around the lack of ability to enforce such regulations and prosecute those who violate them. Standards have been set in different countries, however the extent of their effectiveness is limited in the very fact that they only apply to resident companies of that countries. The issue of regulation makes the internet a much more controversial advertising medium. The global nature of the internet also makes those who use it (in this case, children) more accessible to a larger range of information sources. Advertising to children on the internet has no geographical boundaries as opposed to traditional mediums which can only be viewed where they are broadcasted, transmitted to or sold. This also raises the issue that the internet makes children more vulnerable to messages and executions which may be considered inappropriate in their home country but acceptable in the country in which it was produced. The internet also makes children more vulnerable to advertising as there is limited parental supervision, compared to traditional mediums. The internet is available on demand and children can access it at any time. This contrasts with traditional mediums, particularly broadcast where advertising to children is limited to a particular time slot (9am – 11am and 3pm – 5pm). The internet also limits a parent’s ability to control their child’s response to advertising. Where a child may ask their parents to call a hotline for a competition or for a stamp to send in an entry form, they are able to email and submit personal details immediately and without parental consent. Such opportunity places more pressure on parents to monitor internet usage and educate children about internet advertising. Such measures are not needed to such a degree with traditional advertising methods. 2.0 PART B: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHIES 2.1 ARTICLE ONE: ‘CHILDREN IN THE DIGITAL AGE’ Author: Kathryn C. Montgomery Source: Media Awareness Network: The American Prospect, No. 27, Jul-Aug. 1996 http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/articles/internet/kids_digital_age.cfm Date accessed: April 5th 2003 Issues raised The article focuses on inconsistency in multimedia technology’s primary aim to enhance children’s drive to learn and access information that transcends traditional settings by interactivity. It highlights how these vital advantages are counteracted by perils such as manipulative forms of advertising targeted at children which further generates problems in the existing media culture. It states how commercial forces contradict the initial claim for public benefit and use of civic values to gain support in exploiting this new medium. It also emphasises that related legislation, such as the 1996 Telecommunications Act, are not central to the interests of children and are inadequately addressed for its long-term effect. Controversial issues such as how the advertisers’ techniques shape the virtual landscape for children & their prime focus to be a separate set of experiences and values from adults are posed. This is elaborated by the advertiser’s encouragement to get kids to develop ongoing cyber relationships with the brand to fulfil ‘micro-targeting’ approaches. The article raises the need for strategic understanding in implementing an ideal approach to maximise benefits and minimise related concerns in regards to children vulnerability on the Internet.
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