Assignment

It is clear from the available evidence that television advertising does influence children. Research has demonstrated that children attend to and learn from commercials, and that advertising is at least moderately successful in creating positive attitudes toward and the desire for products advertised. The variable that emerged most clearly across numerous studies as a strong determinant of children's perception of television advertising is the child's age. Research clearly establishes that children become more skilled in evaluating television advertising as they grow older, and that to treat all children from 2 to 12 as a homogenous group masks important, perhaps crucial differences.

1. Do you think the majority view is correct in this case? What difference would it make that a majority thinks this way?

2. Do you think the use of commercials in children's television programming raises any ethical questions? Do explain.

3. Do you wish to place evidence for what you say before your classmates?