Both online and in person marketplaces are full of advertising. Most kids notice this advertising but don’t think of the bigger picture and how it affects them.
Advertising can encourage the purchase of both necessary as well as unnecessary and potentially unhealthy products. From the day your kids are born to the day they leave this Earth, advertising will be a predominant part of their life.
Since kids are especially susceptible to these messages, which will stay with them throughout their lives, it’s important to educate your kids on how advertising works.
Here are some tips on how you can educate your kids about advertising so that they can understand it better and make good decisions regardless of what advertising throws in their face.
Engage Conversations
Whenever you have a chance to discuss advertising with your kids, try to engage in a conversation with them. While seated down watching television together or walking through the mall, ask your kids what they think the brand is trying to market. Discuss if they think this is a good product and why or why not. Having open dialogue from a young age will help teach kids that advertising is simply a means to get consumers to purchase things so that the company can make more money.
Explain Advertising
Tell your kids what advertising is all about. They need to realize that advertising is a means for the brand to gain the interest of kids so that the kids will beg their parents to purchase the product. Not all advertisements are for good products. With the world full of food we have no idea what’s in it, it’s important your kids learn that advertisements don’t necessarily mean the product is good for the family or individual. Let them know that advertising is a clever way for a brand to gain more profit for their business.
Explain Your Purchases
Tell your kids why you purchase certain products over other products. Your kids may see advertising for a particular brand and be curious why you don’t opt for the product that has been on the TV commercials all week long. Explaining why you purchase certain brands or products for the home will help guide your kids forward in the future to learn how to avoid the marketing ploy of advertisements and in turn think for themselves. It’s important to walk the talk so that your kids grow up to realize they can purchase a brand that isn’t heavily advertised and it will be okay.
There you have it, a few ways to educate your kids on advertising so that they can grow up to be well-rounded adults who know that they have the freedom to make purchasing decisions based on what they think is best for their own household. Kids will get more advertisements thrown in their face over their lifetime because of the ads online, in the stores and on television but you can work to ensure you educate your kids enough so that they comprehend what advertising is all about and how to make the best decision for their own self.