The tendencies were even greater for families with children who collected toys from the chains’ kids meals. On examining the data, they found the ads directed at children came only from two of the fast food chains that were nationally recognized.
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Fast food companies have frequently participated in child-directed marketing that targets those under the age of 12. Also other factors like having more TVs at home, a TV in the child’s bedroom, children watching TV during the day, and spending more time watching the children’s networks that aired most of the child-targeted ads influenced on consumption rates.
Fast food commercials are very effective tools of advertisement, based on the study.
The findings also showed that children’s food preferences may be partially shaped by a desire for the toys featured in TV ads. The parents were asked to estimate how often their children watched one of four TV channels, if their children had asked to visit one of the country’s two leading fast food chains advertised on these TV channels, if the kids were interested in collecting the toys offered with children’s meals at these restaurants, and how often the families actually visited these establishments.
A new research has found that TV advertisements for fast foods, especially those featuring toys, attract children to eat at the fast food restaurants. Researchers found that about 80% of the two restaurant chains’ child-directed ads aired on those four children’s networks.
Of the 29 percent of children who collected toys from the restaurants, nearly 83 percent requested to visit one or both of the restaurants.
The results of the study revealed that 37% parents reports that they visited the two fast food chains more frequently 44% children requested visiting at least one of the two restaurants.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) recently stated that children who learnt information through TV ads are unable to distinguish between what is right and wrong. Pediatricians suggested that it is next to impossible to make a young child change his mind about going to a diner after he has seen a commercial on TV.
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Jennifer Emond, of Dartmouth College’s Geisel School of Medicine in New Hampshire, and colleagues said the fast-food restaurants ads on children’s TV channels pose significant influence on youngsters.
