Children and advertising.

Views concerning advertising aimed at children differ widely in Europe. In Sweden it is considered unacceptable and is banned for children under 12 with the approval of the majority of the population. In France advertisements are seen as part of preparing children for future life in a consumer society.

There seems to be agreement that certain regulations at least are necessary. However, the degree to which advertising to children is regulated again varies widely from country to country. In the UK, there are rules on food advertising, health, hygiene, safety and decency and there are restriction on broadcast time(for alcohol, medicines and slimming products). Greece has a ban on advertisements for children’s toys between 7 am and 10pm and a total ban on advertisements for war toys.

Children’s reactions to advertisements can be very different from grown –ups. If adults see a product advertised and don’t find it when they go shopping they forget about it. As children develop the ability to recognize and understand ads and their purpose they start making demands.

Research by advertising agencies has confirmed that children’s personal preferences can be targeted and changed by TV advertising. The effectiveness of advertising increases when the ads are shown in between or around programmes aimed at children, or when children perceive an advertisement to be made ‘for them’ as, for example, with toys or breakfast cereals. If adults, who have had years of practice in seeing through and being able to deal with ads, could not be influenced in their decisions to choose or by products then no company would spend millions on advertising. Research has also confirmed the influence of the media upon the close match between children’s tastes and the content of the programmes they watch.

2. Guess the meaning of highlighted words and phrase - 5% (4min)

Task: Explain the meaning of highlighted words and phrases

3. Expressive reading of the poem. - 4% (3min)

Task: Read the extract from the poem

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