Need for Parental Control and Mediation in Food Advertising to Children: A Review of Previous Research

Pavleen Kaur

doi:10.22610/imbr.v3i3.930

Abstract

Food advertising to children is recognised worldwide as contributing to obesity in children. Much of the research in this area has been carried out in US, UK and other developed countries that are fighting the obesity epidemic. The phenomenon is, however, not restricted to the developed world only, but is now trickling down to the developing countries, such as India. Therefore, it is pertinent that necessary measures are devised and implemented so that Indian children may not face the same situation. At present, when governmental regulations are less forthcoming and marketers are enjoying the potential offered by a huge and untapped market for western foods, it becomes imminent for the parents to intervene and protect their children from banal effects of food advertising. Therefore, the present paper seeks to review various studies conducted in this area to highlight the need for TV viewing mediation by parents in the Indian situation.

Highlights

Children constitute a distinct and valuable set of consumers such that marketers try to build strong linkages with them directly through advertisements
Carlson and Grossbart (1988) reported that parents are getting more permissive and authoritative in their parenting styles. These findings were further corroborated by O’ Dougherty, Story and Stang (2006) who observed that when parents do not honour purchase requests while co-shopping with their children, the refusal strategy includes saying a soft “no” or a non-verbal “no”, ignoring, walking away or telling the child they do not need the food item
In order to mitigate the negative effects of foods promotion through TV advertising, it is essential that parents have sufficient time to interact with children

Summary

Introduction

Children constitute a distinct and valuable set of consumers such that marketers try to build strong linkages with them directly through advertisements. Children popular cartoon characters and celebrities are featured in ads to endorse and promote these products They are very successful in persuading children to buy the advertised foods. Television commercials and prime-time programmes have been identified to largely influence the types of food that children ask their parents to buy, the food that they buy themselves and consume. Such high levels of exposure to food ads while watching television promote obesity at multiple levels. Parents are the first party to bear the brunt of advertising influence They face a large number of product requests which are difficult to honour (Buijzen and Valkenburg, 2005).

Literature Review

Other factors affecting parental mediation of TV advertising

Findings

Discussion