Can Disclosures Aid Children’s Recognition of TV and Website Advertising?

Abstract

For decades, child-directed advertising has been the subject of debate and research. In addition to advertising on traditional media, children are increasingly exposed to sophisticated forms of advertising on new media (Calvert, 2008; WHO, 2016). Advertising not only affects children's cognitions, attitudes, and behaviors towards brands and products, but – according to Kasser and Linn (2016) – also ``harms'' them by triggering ``a materialistic value orientation, unhealthy eating, distorted body image, aggressive behavior, and substance use'' (p. 132).