Advertising: influencing our youth assignment

Teenagers see more ads than we think. They see them walking down the street on a billboard. On TV when their show Is on a break, and in magazines. Teenagers not only lots of ads, but the same ones over and ever. Companies don’t Just place one ad per television show. They place an ad every commercial break. They may not realize it, but their subconscious mind remembers all the advertising when an opportunity to drink or smoke presents itself. Especially when you add in the repetition factor.

Companies are spending loads of money annually to get their product In the eye of the public. However, the placement of their ads is all wrong; they are advertising on channels that teenagers watch and magazines that are read by young adults; such as MET and People Magazine. The accessibility of teenagers combined with ad placement and repetition can lead to shaping behavior for when they are adults. Behavior such as alcoholism and Vulnerability is another reason big companies target youth; many teenagers see advertisements featuring their role model or favorite celebrity.

Ultimately the effect is great, annually, about 5, 000 people under age 21 die from alcohol-related injuries involving underage drinking (“ Consequences of Underage Drinking”). Underage drinking can cause a range of physical consequences, from hangovers to death from alcohol poisoning, it also can be linked to smoking. Every day, another 1, 500 kids become daily smokers, and one-third of them will die prematurely as a result of getting hooked. Youth who don’t smoke very often can suffer the adverse effects of addiction (“ Health Effects of Tobacco’). 0% of teenagers who smoke daily have tried to quit and failed, about 2/3 of teen smokers say they want to quit smoking (“ Health Effects of Tobacco’) . 70% say they would not have started if they could choose again (“ Health Effects of Tobacco’). Many teens subconsciously fall victim to the advertising that companies use to draw them in. Smoking is highly addictive, and for most teens once they start they can’t stop. All it takes is one try, and they can get hooked for the rest of their lives; yet another factor that shows teens vulnerability.

As for alcohol, it may not be as independent charity that “ provides people with evidence-based information about alcohol and work alongside the medical community’ shows some effects of underage drinking (“ About Us”). They show that underage drinking can cause liver failure, stunting brain development, and leading to binge drinking (“ Understand the Risks of Even though teenagers are considered young adults and even some as full adults, their brain is not yet developed fully. Alcohol and tobacco companies target these young, underdeveloped teens to make more sales, when in fact, it is ruining many lives.