Cover Story
APA's Task Force on Advertising and Children proposed the following research and policy recommendations--which have now been adopted as APA policy--to help counter the potential negative effects of ads aimed at children:
Restrict television advertising as well as advertising in the schools directed to children 8 years old and younger.
Use advertising disclaimers for children's programs in language that children can easily understand.
Research what is new and what is different in advertising targeted to children and teens.
Investigate how advertising in new interactive media environments, such as the Internet, influences children.
Study the persuasive intent of television advertising targeted to children older than 8.
Examine whether understanding advertising's persuasive intent and its effects differ among genders, races, ethnicities and cultures.
Develop curriculum for different grade levels to help children understand advertising.
Educate parents and professionals who work with children and youth on the effects of advertising.
Support continuing-education programs for psychologists on media literacy, in particular on media advertising and marketing to children.
Weigh the ethical implications of using psychological research to effectively promote products to children.
Encourage more rigorous industry self-regulation, such as publicizing to parents guidelines of the Children's Advertising Review Unit of the Council of Better Business Bureaus.
Investigate the impact of advertising and commercialism in the schools.
Collaborate with other professional and educational organizations to raise public, professional and political awareness of the increased commercialization of schools.
--M. DITTMANN
