{"id":46983,"date":"2019-02-22T14:02:56","date_gmt":"2019-02-22T22:02:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/world.edu\/?p=46983"},"modified":"2019-02-22T14:02:56","modified_gmt":"2019-02-22T22:02:56","slug":"3-tips-how-to-teach-children-to-watch-commercials-more-closely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/3-tips-how-to-teach-children-to-watch-commercials-more-closely\/","title":{"rendered":"3 tips: How to teach children to watch commercials more closely"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\nWith all the time that young people spend in front of screens these days \u2013 from TVs to laptops, cellphones and iPads \u2013 children are bound to see a lot of ads and commercials.<\/p>\n

On average, American children spend anywhere between\u00a0three<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0nine hours<\/a>\u00a0of time on screen. This includes TV, DVD, mobile, computer and video games.<\/p>\n

To take advantage of all the time that is spent being plugged in, companies are spending\u00a0billions of dollars<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0slick techniques<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0get attention<\/a>. And it\u2019s working. For instance, children between the ages of 2 to 11 see an average of\u00a025,600 TV ads a year<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As entertaining as commercials may be, research has shown young people can\u2019t always separate fact from fiction. For instance, a\u00a02016 study<\/a>\u00a0found that out of 7,804 student responses, more than 80 percent of middle school students\u00a0believed that web ads were real news stories<\/a>. The same study found that more than 80 percent of high school students had a hard time distinguishing between real and fake photos.<\/p>\n

Based on this evidence, America\u2019s young people, it seems, could benefit from\u00a0media literacy<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 a subject that is one of the focal areas of\u00a0my research<\/a>. Media literacy is about being able analyze and evaluate the messages we see in different media platforms.<\/p>\n

For parents and others who want to empower children to be\u00a0more aware<\/a>of how commercials influence what they think and do, here are three ways to use media literacy skills to accomplish that end. The tips may be particularly useful during major TV events that prompt companies to make special commercials, such as the Super Bowl or the Oscars, which airs on Feb. 24.<\/p>\n

1. Ask questions<\/strong><\/h4>\n

While ads can help young viewers\u00a0socialize as consumers<\/a>\u00a0and tell them about products, research also shows that young audiences aren\u2019t always able to\u00a0detect persuasion in advertising<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0National Association for Media Literacy Education<\/a>\u00a0suggests that people\u00a0get in the habit of asking questions<\/a>\u00a0so it can help them intelligently process the information to which they are being exposed.<\/p>\n

One of the questions viewers should ask is: Who created the message? All media messages are\u00a0constructed by an author<\/a>. Thinking about who that is helps create distance from the message of the commercial itself.<\/p>\n

Viewers should also ask if the commercial appeared credible. Commercials often\u00a0transport many of us into a story world<\/a>. Resisting the enticement of stories allows viewers to stay grounded in a critical mindset.<\/p>\n

2. Use your senses<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Young viewers should be encouraged to ask how a commercial made them feel. Advertising\u00a0relies heavily on people\u2019s emotional reactions<\/a>. Becoming more aware of how we\u2019re made to feel during an ad can give us a clue about its effect on us.<\/p>\n

Young viewers should also be encouraged to analyze what techniques were used to get their attention. Media makers\u00a0use a variety of creative techniques<\/a>\u00a0to catch our eye, like bright colors, humor or celebrity endorsements. Focusing on how words, colors or camera angles affect the way we see or hear the message is important to analyze its appeal.<\/p>\n

By teaching young viewers to question the\u00a0\u201cbehind the scenes\u201d of commercials<\/a>, it will better enable them to understand the production techniques that marketers employ to sell their seemingly perfect products.<\/p>\n

3. Reflect<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Dialogue and reflection<\/a>\u00a0are important aspects of media literacy. Talking about commercials with others creates a common ground to exchange perspectives.<\/p>\n

Young viewers should also be encouraged to ask why a particular message is being sent. Most media messages are typically\u00a0developed to generate revenue or influence decisions<\/a>\u00a0Young viewers should be taught to look for motives, such as to inform, persuade or entertain.<\/p>\n

Also, young viewers should be encouraged to ask what values are represented? Commercials often\u00a0carry underlying themes<\/a>\u00a0that deal with politics, sexuality or identity. Looking at the points of view represented in the message is important to detect how chosen values are being reinforced.<\/p>\n

By reflecting on the\u00a0techniques and motives surrounding commercials<\/a>, parents, educators and others can teach young people to make better sense of the many commercial messages they will see throughout their lives.<\/p>\n

Author Bio:<\/strong> Sarah Gretter is a Senior Learning Experience (LX) Designer at Michigan State University<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With all the time that young people spend in front of screens these days \u2013 from TVs to laptops, cellphones and iPads \u2013 children are bound to see a lot of ads and commercials. On average, American children spend anywhere between\u00a0three\u00a0to\u00a0nine hours\u00a0of time on screen. This includes TV, DVD, mobile, computer and video games. To […]\n… learn more→<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":46984,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[95],"tags":[295140],"coauthors":[11733],"class_list":["post-46983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-digital-media"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n3 tips: How to teach children to watch commercials more closely - World leading higher education information and services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/3-tips-how-to-teach-children-to-watch-commercials-more-closely\/\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"3 tips: How to teach children to watch commercials more closely - World leading higher education information and services\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With all the time that young people spend in front of screens these days \u2013 from TVs to laptops, cellphones and iPads \u2013 children are bound to see a lot of ads and commercials. 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