The deal with children's advertising

Every time I see a children’s advert on television, I sympathise with the parents of that kid. Young children, who do not even understand the intentions of a glossy advert, are generally gullible little spoilsports. They see a superman toy on TV and believe that if they have it, they will take over the world. They see a kid on TV everyone thinks is a "nerd" and then when that kid’s mom buys them a superhero outfit, everyone suddenly thinks that kid is the coolest kid on the planet. So what does the unfortunate tot staring at the screen with wide eyes think? “If I have that outfit, everybody will like me!” Wrong, kid. Not everyone in this world will like you. But of course mommy dear wouldn’t dare say such a thing. Even if she is dragged by a strand of hair, to the nearest toy shop, she will buy what her little one wants. Because kids control their parents, naturally. So, what am I getting at? Most children’s adverts are pretty much unethical because they give children the wrong impression – they don’t know better, so what should it matter? Secondly, material possessions will become the light of a kid’s world. Many parents who cannot spend time with their children buy them gifts as a guilt offering. Bad. Very bad. Finally, the toys that kids get might make them act in ways they usually wouldn’t. Guns and army toys are portrayed as cool, is it not? So the next time you see your little sibling begging your parents for the latest toy in the market, buy them a consumer psychology textbook instead.