The Influence of Advergames on Children’s Consumer Choices and Behavior

Abstract

Children as a market have come of age. Youth ages 2 to 17 in the United States spend approximately $250 billion per year, and 2- to 14-year-old US youth influence an additional $500 billion per year in family spending (see Calvert, 2008). In an increasingly digital world culture, youth now spend a considerable amount of time online (Rideout, Foehr & Roberts, 2010). Businesses are following them to these online spaces, coming up with new ways to reach children through entertainment technology (McGinnis, Gootman & Kraak, 2006). One such route is the advergame, a video game with either subtle or overt messages designed to persuade users to purchase and consume specific products (Calvert, 2008; Staiano & Calvert, 2012).