HOW CAN MISLEADING ADVERTISEMENTS DECEIVE THE YOUNG MINDS ADVERSELY?

 

HOW CAN MISLEADING ADVERTISEMENTS DECEIVE THE YOUNG MINDS ADVERSELY?

Advertising has become an indispensable mode of communication with the market. Advertising is the means of communication between the seller of a product and the prospective buyers in the market. Advertising has a huge impact on adults and children alike since it is a form of mass communication. Advertising is the lifeline of marketing and is the mode of promotion of big brands and companies. Nevertheless, the worry lies in the fact that the situation turns catastrophic when advertisements begin to overpower us to the extent that we start indulging in instinctive expenditure.

Advertisements and the television especially have a greater impact on the young minds who are puny and vulnerable creatures. Popular celebrities promote big brands and companies by advertising through various media channels such as the television and social media. Youngsters often fail to demarcate between fantasy and reality, and get carried away by these advertisements which extravagantly showcase how useful or beneficial a particular product is. However, unreasonable expectation of product quality should not be stimulated by advertisements, directly or indirectly.

The field of advertising is one that is ever-changing and ever-evolving! The significance of advertising continues to increase since brands rely heavily on media for various marketing objectives. The influence of advertisements is more detrimental on the young minds because they lack experience and knowledge. They are unable to critically evaluate the purpose of the persuasive advertising appeals. Advertisements also impact the socio-economic development, mental frame and wellbeing of a youngster. Since youngsters are imaginative and lack discretion, advertisers target them, keeping in mind their enthusiasm and impulsiveness.

Advertising plays an important role in setting new trends and changing societal norms, both nationally as well as globally. With modernisation, advertisers are compelled to look for fresher ways to sell their products in the market so that they can reach a huger audience and meet their marketing strategies. The commercials and campaigns are made as flamboyant and creative as possible so that they may leave an everlasting impression on the minds of the target buyers. Critics exclaim that advertising to children is deceptive and should be banned. However, the importance of advertising cannot be trivialised in the dynamic nature of our society.

Youngsters have always been the most valuable and elusive buyers to the sellers. They have ample purchasing capacity, and usually do not have firm brand preferences due to which they can adopt new brand preferences. The youth today are more vocal and prefer to make decisions on their own. The youth today assert greater autonomy and possess greater decision-making capacity than the previous generations. They are pleased by only the best products and are willing to experiment with various products. There is an extensive impact on the undeveloped brains of the youth because of advertising. Television advertisements and innovative methods of promotion have adversely affected the minds of the youth.

Advertisements often showcase products with exaggerated quality and performance which might entice youngsters to purchase them instantaneously. Youngsters must be cautious of how spending money without prior thinking can be hazardous and detrimental. They must be taught to keep track of all their expenses from a young age so that eventually, it turns into a habit and a way of life. If they are buying something on sale which they do not desire or require, they are spending money wastefully. If one’s expenditure is so high that one is not saving sufficiently, his expenses ought to be reconsidered. They could keep in mind a long-term goal for which they would be eager to save their money. Impulsive purchases should be avoided at all times, and it is high time one reconsiders how he wishes to dispose of his or someone else’s hard-earned money.

Advertisers, while conducting a research on how to improve their advertisements, often find themselves in a dilemma. Advertisements often fail to consistently hold their own amidst the changing tastes of people. Advertisers should not exploit the imaginative quality of children. Recognising that advertising may play a crucial role in educating the child, information should be communicated in an honest and accurate manner. Although advertisements influence a child’s personal and social development, it remains the primary responsibility of the parents to provide guidance for children. Parents should prevent their children from getting embroiled in the paltriness and the trivialities of life. The researchers aim to offer suggestions through which the negative impact of advertising may be limited by analysing the problem through the perspectives of the children as well as the guardians.