Study finds commercialism harms Britain's kids
Robert Winnett
Telegraph (UK)
December 10, 2007
Study finds commercialism harms Britain's kids
By Robert Winnett, Deputy Political Editor
Last Updated: 2:44am GMT 10/12/2007
The increasing commercial exploitation of children is
fuelling a rise in bullying, obesity and depression
among Britain's youngsters, according to a recent study.
The National Union of Teachers warns that children must
be "protected" against increasingly sophisticated
marketing and advertising tactics that present "several
levels of danger" to young people.
Companies are accused of routinely hiring child and
consumer psychologists to "help them target children
effectively", with devastating consequences for the
health and wellbeing of youngsters.
The damning research is the most comprehensive analysis
to date of the increasing impact of advertising on
children.
Youngsters are exposed to about 10,000 adverts every
year on television, in addition to hundreds of "pop-ups"
on the internet. The average 10-year-old is aware of
between 300 and 400 different brands.
Companies, including some that market popular foods, are
identified in the report as firms that have used
marketing strategies that may be "damaging".
advertisement
Advertising creates a "culture of cool" where children
are pressured into having to wear the right labels and
look a certain way to fit in, according to the findings.
As a result, parents have become victims of pester
power, especially at Christmas, and feel forced to
spends large sums of money on the latest toys and
fashions.
Tomorrow, Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, will announce
plans for a study of the "commercialisation of children"
amid growing pressure on the Government to clampdown on
some of the worst excesses. The inquiry forms a key part
of the Government's Children's Plan.
Among the findings in the NUT study are:
• Children are bombarded with "unrealistic and
unachievable images" of what they should look like,
leading to an increase in anorexia, bulimia and eating
disorders.
• Boys as young as 14 are using anabolic steroids to
grow faster and bigger.
• More than half of children know someone who has been
bullied because they did not have the latest gadgets or
most fashionable clothes.
• Nearly three quarters of seven-year-old girls want to
be slimmer.
• There is a disturbing trend for pre-teenage girls to
wear sexually provocative clothes and make-up.
• About 70 per cent of children say there is too much
pressure to look perfect and wear the latest fashions.
• Nearly a third are unhappy with how they look.
Steve Sinnott, the general secretary of the NUT, said:
"Of increasing concern to teachers is the lifestyle
pressures exerted on children by the advertising and
marketing industries.
"The pressure to consume and conform can lead to
excessive levels of materialism and competition among
children, leading to bullying. There are dangerous
consequences for the physical and mental health of young
people.
"The rise in childhood obesity and illnesses such as the
early onset of type 2 diabetes, for example, highlight
the dangers of advertising unhealthy food to children."
One of the 268 children between eight and 15 surveyed
for the report said: "People get too obsessed with
fashion because if they are not wearing something
fashionable then people start to tease you but all the
fashionable clothes are expensive."
The NUT is calling for the Government to step in if
advertisers do not curb their targeting of children. It
is calling for a ban on junk food adverts before the 9pm
watershed and says it is "alarmed" at the targeting of
schools by businesses wishing to market their products.
There are concerns at the level of alcohol advertising
when children are likely to be watching television.
The Government's own research found that British
teenagers consumed "extremely high" quantities of
alcohol compared to those in other countries.
A ministerial group is to examine the links between
advertising and under-age drinking.