Show 57: Advertising to Kids

THE HOLIDAYS ARE almost here and that means toys, presents and shopping in many households. Kids know what they want and they'll let you know which toy/gadget/game/thing they absolutely must have this year. So, who and what inform these desires? In this episode of KTD we're learning about how our kids are marketed to and what strategies we can use to help them be more media savvy.

IN-STUDIO GUESTS: Joining host Shana Sheehy in the studio is Joel Bakan, author of the critically acclaimed best selling book-turned film, The Corporation, and most recently, Childhood Under Siege: How Big Business Targets Children. Joel is also a professor of law at the University of British Columbia; he joins us from Vancouver, B.C. Aliza Sherman, Alaskan marketing and web pioneer, joins us from Tok. Aliza is the author of Mom Incorporated and creator of the app, Girls Can Be Anything.

DID YOU KNOW? 

"Young people view more than 40,000 ads per year on television alone and increasingly are being exposed to advertising on the Internet, in magazines, and in schools. This exposure may contribute significantly to childhood and adolescent obesity, poor nutrition, and cigarette and alcohol use. Media education has been shown to be effective in mitigating some of the negative effects of advertising on children and adolescents."

- Via: "Children, Adolescents and Advertising" published by American Academy of Pediatrics

FEATURED STORIES:

- Ad Industry Self-Regulation - Kids are bombarded by advertisements - on television, in those brightly colored toy fliers that make up the bulk of the Sunday paper delivery this time of year and on the internet year-round. Sometimes it seems like a free-for-all. Are there any rules governing all this marketing? Contributor Jessica Cochran looks into the world of advertising self-regulation.

- Advertising in the Schools - As education budgets continue to get slashed while the costs of schooling children continue to rise, some public schools in the United States are taking a closer look at advertising dollars to make ends meet. How do Alaskans feel about advertising in the schools? Contributor Aviva Hirsch has the story.

LEARN MORE:

• Don't Buy It! Get Media Smart - PBS Kids' media literacy and education website for kids
• About-Face.org - media literacy website focused on girls; features winners/losers galleries for best/worst ads
• Children's Advertising Review Unit - the industry's self-regulatory branch
• Center for Media Literacy - educational curricula developers
• The History of Advertising - Ad Age's timeline from 1704 - 1999