Impact of Advertisements on the Younger Generation

Impact of Advertisements on the Younger Generation influences their behaviours, preferences, and attitudes. Advertising has become a part of young people’s daily lives, and they have become accustomed to being assaulted with multiple advertisements throughout the day.

Advertising is a form of marketing communication used to promote or sell a product, service, or idea to users of that product or service or the general public. Advertisement sponsors are typically businesses looking to market their goods or services. In advertising, the advertiser is the one who pays for and controls the message. Advertising is disseminated and communicated using a variety of mediums. Newspapers, flyers, magazines, television, radio, and news media are all examples of traditional media. Search results, blogs, social media, text messages, and web pages are just a few examples. Through “branding,” commercials attempt to boost the consumption of their products or services. In the minds of consumers, a product name or image is associated with specific traits as there is a huge impact of advertisements on the younger generation.

Advertisements and Young People

Impact of advertisements on the younger generation has a significant influence. Advertisements are at an all-time high in the current world, with the extensive impact of social media among the youth, reaching an equally large audience. Advertising has become a part of young people’s daily lives, and they have become accustomed to being assaulted with multiple advertisements throughout the day. They are so accustomed to seeing or hearing advertisements that they are unaware that they are doing so. Therefore, we can say that huge Companies are continually looking for new ways to market their products to teenagers by making their ads and campaigns more memorable, which will make an impression on their brains in the ever-expanding world of consumerism and advertising.

Advertisers have turned their attention to the younger generation because they have more spending power than ever before and more options available to them. As a result, firms spend a lot of money to get well-known actors, athletes, musicians, and other celebrities to endorse their products. These renowned people are frequently in such a powerful position that their fans are influenced by their lifestyles, and their public personalities impact their admirers’ lives as well. Especially the younger ones, who like to follow in the footsteps of their idols in everything they do, from what they wear to what they eat and drink.

An advertisement featuring a well-known figure

These celebrity endorsements assure not only brand recognition but also early brand loyalty. Many superbrands have tried fresh and provocative ways to attract young consumers in the recent decade. Because these children are intellectually and psychologically vulnerable to marketing, appealing campaigns can be used.

Because these children are intellectually and psychologically vulnerable to marketing, appealing campaigns can be used. These examples demonstrate that advertisements are a “huge e-business” and play an important influence in the lives of young people. Who needs to be educated about advertising’s consequences or media literacy? This will be useful in reducing the negative impacts of ads on children.

Cristiano Ronaldo, a well-known Portuguese footballer and health enthusiast is making headlines these days after removing two Coca-Cola bottles from a news conference during the European Championship. He held out a water bottle before exclaiming, “Agua!” in Portuguese, encouraging them to drink it instead. The drinks company’s stock price dropped by $4 billion due to this. One of the official sponsors of Euro 2020, Coca-cola, saw its stock price decline from $56.10 to $55.22 nearly immediately following Ronaldo’s gesture. A 1.6 percent drop in Cocoa-market Cola’s worth dropped from $242 billion to $238 billion. This selfless effort from such a powerful figure as Cristiano Ronaldo is admirable. It demonstrates that he is aware of his impact on his supporters’ lives and cares about them.

Although commercials can be educational and assist in making informed judgments, they can also hurt, influencing their decisions, lifestyle, and personality in some situations. Advertisements can influence the younger generation’s brains in both positive and harmful ways.

The Positive Impact of Advertisements on the Younger Generation:

• Certain advertising, particularly public service announcements, can be a source of knowledge since they convey advancements and technological milestones, providing youth with knowledge and an excellent learning experience while also informing them about new products on the market.
• Healthy food options that are properly promoted can inspire children to choose a more balanced diet.
• Advertisements can also contain inspirational content that encourages children and teenagers to choose a particular career path or pursue a specific dream. They can assist instill a desire for it in the youth and motivate them to work towards making it a reality.
• Certain commercials emphasising hygiene or cleanliness have the potential to instill positive habits in children.
• Advertisements that show other kids their age doing things like helping with home chores and saving money can persuade them to do the same.

Negative Impacts of Advertisements on the Younger Generation:

• Because advertisements are often focused on teenagers, they may be persuaded to buy a product. Ann obstinate adolescents might insist on the products advertised.
• Stunts seen in ads can be quite dangerous. Even though they come with legal warnings, the kids may disregard them and perform the feats.
• A huge majority of the promoted food or drinks are junk food, which can be quite tempting visually. These can influence young people’s eating habits and promote an unhealthy lifestyle.
• People are sexually objectified in certain advertising, which is a matter of openness. As the youth grow older, they believe that this is the usual.
• The visual representation of some inappropriate activities, such as lying or cheating, might lead a vulnerable person to assume that such behaviour is normal.

Conclusion

Some suggestions could be made to prevent the bad effects of advertisements from spreading among the youth. Cut back on screen time or try to download television shows to prevent commercials, among other things. However, in a world filled with clever commercials, it’s difficult to ignore them altogether.

Advertisements can be found practically anywhere, including newspapers, billboards, television, and men and luggage tags. Educating the youth is the most effective strategy to minimise ads’ negativity and due to which the impact of advertisements on the younger generation  will be less.