Advertising: how it works on kids & teens

About advertising and children

Children experience advertising in many forms – on TV, YouTube, apps, radio, billboards, magazines, movies, the internet, online games, text messages, social media and more.

And advertising works on children. For example, the more TV a child watches, the more toys that child is likely to want and ask for.

This is why it’s important for children to learn that advertisements are trying to make you buy something. Advertisements are trying to influence the way you think or to change your mind about something. And advertisers always aim to make their products look better than they really are.

Advertising affects children in different ways. How children handle advertising can depend on several things, including their age, knowledge and experience. You can help your child learn to handle the influence of advertising by giving them opportunities to question and talk about what they see in the media. This is an important life skill for children.

Young children and advertising

At 0-2 years, children can’t tell the difference between advertising and TV programs, YouTube Kids videos and so on.

By 3-6 years, children can identify advertisements and tell the difference between advertisements and TV shows or YouTube Kids videos.

But young children tend to think of advertisements as entertaining or helpful announcements. And they might not:

be able to tell the difference between entertainment and some online advertising – for example, unboxing videos that combine play with toy promotion
understand that advertisements are trying to sell something
be critical of the claims that advertisers make.

You can limit the effects of advertising on your young child by looking at and talking about media with your child. You can also limit the amount of:

commercial TV or YouTube Kids they watch
time they spend using the internet or playing games on electronic devices.

You can encourage your child to think of ad breaks as good times to take screen breaks. For example, you could say, ‘It’s an ad – time to take a break’. You might suggest that your child moves around, gets a drink, or tells you about what they’ve been watching or playing. They can go back to watching or playing when the ad is finished.

Primary school-age children and advertising

At 7-11 years, children can:

understand that advertisements are trying to sell them something
remember advertising messages
recognise some persuasive techniques – for example, when advertisements overstate how good products are.

But children might not:

question what advertisements are doing
be able to tell the difference between entertainment and advertising on YouTube, social media and gaming platforms – for example, videos of people playing a video game are designed to make you want to play the game too
understand that products aren’t as good as advertisements say they are, or that advertisers might not be telling them any of the bad points.

To limit the effects of advertising on school-age children, the most important thing you can do is talk about advertisements and encourage children to think about what they’re trying to do.

It’s a good idea to focus on the advertisements that your child sees most often. You can get your child to develop a questioning attitude towards advertisers’ claims by asking them to think about what’s being advertised. For example:

What’s the product in this advertisement?
What is it for? Who is it for?
Why is this product advertised only in games and not on TV?

You can also ask your child about the strategies that are being used to sell a particular product. This can help your child work out how an advertisement makes a product look good. For example:

Does the advertisement make you feel something – for example, happiness, the desire to belong, worry, or fear of missing out?
Does the advertisement pay popular celebrities, sports stars or influencers to promote the product and make it more attractive?
Does the advertisement link an idea with the product? For example, does the ad make children seem more grown up when they use the product?
Is the advertisement promoting the product by giving you something for free? For example, do you get a toy if you buy a kids’ meal from a fast food chain?
Does the advertisement draw you in by asking you to do something online – for example, play a segment of a new game or click a link to another page?

This will help to make the point that you can’t believe everything you see on TV, the internet or social media – especially what you see in advertisements.

Teenagers and advertising

At 12-13 years, teenagers can usually understand the purpose of advertising and can use advertised information to decide what they want.

But teenagers might not:

understand how advertising makes things more expensive
recognise tricky product placement strategies
know that people who post videos on YouTube are often sponsored to advertise products
understand that many celebrities and influencers on social media receive money or free products to post about products
know that clicking an advertisement on social media sends data to the makers of the advertisement.

Over 14 years, teenagers might understand how the marketplace works and be sceptical about advertisers’ claims.

But teenagers might not:

know that social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Snapchat collect user data, which they use to target advertising to the user
be able to identify sponsored posts on social media
have the skills to make judgments about political advertisements, particularly during election campaigns.

You can limit the effects of advertising on teenagers by talking about the way advertisements work to sell ideas as well as products. For example, some advertisements link products with the ‘perfect’ life that the people in the ads seem to have.

Teenagers can also start thinking about the subtle influences of advertising. For example, you could encourage your child to think about how advertisements influence ideas about what people of all genders should look like, wear, do, eat and drink. Or you could get your child thinking about political advertising and how it works on people’s attitudes towards things like prosperity, fairness and so on.

For example:

How real is the lifestyle in this advertisement? Do you know anyone who lives like that?
Is this person genuinely recommending this product or have they been paid to promote it?
Are the foods and drinks in advertisements healthy choices? Why aren’t vegies and fruit advertised like burgers?
What do advertisements say about gender, families, body shape and cultural diversity? Do they reflect real life?
How does the information you read and post on social media influence the kinds of advertisements you see on social media?

Teenagers also need to learn about ‘the small print’. For example, a phone contract is not ‘only’ $25 a month – there’s also an ongoing commitment.

When you talk with your child about advertising, your goal is to help your child work out the difference between the products and the strategies that are used to sell them. You can also help your child learn the difference between advertising messages and other media messages that are designed to entertain, inform or educate.

Spotting common advertising strategies

Here’s a list of common advertising strategies. You could make a game out of spotting the strategies with your child.

The appeal to emotions
The advertisement tugs at your heart strings or makes you afraid for your safety.

The big claim or promise
The product tastes excellent or it’s the best in the world. Or a product will bring you fun and excitement and make your life better – for example, you’ll have more friends or be able to run faster.

The bribe
You get a free toy or item when you buy a product and you’re encouraged to collect them all – for example, toys packaged with takeaway meals and collectable cards when you do the grocery shopping.

The cartoon character
A cartoon character you know and like tells you about a product to make it more attractive.

The clickbait
An online ad seems too good to be true or tells an exciting story, which encourages you to click a link.

The deal
You can subscribe to a game for a reduced price (often for a limited time only), but there’s a high monthly cost after the initial price.

The facts
Facts, figures and ‘scientific’ claims make a product more attractive.

The famous person
Popular or well-known people promote a product to make you think you can be just like them if you have the product too.

The game
You can play a game and win a prize if you buy a product.

The influencer
People you follow on social media or YouTube tell you about a product or use the product in their own lives.

The joke
Laughing makes you like an advertisement – and the product it advertises – more.

The music
Catchy tunes or popular songs make you like an advertisement – and the product it advertises – more.

The repeat
Showing the same thing over and over makes you remember and recognise a product.

The special effects
Filming tricks like close-ups, soft lighting and artificial sets make a product look larger or better than it really is.

The story
The advertisement tells an interesting story so you want to keep watching.