TIPS For Families

Written by: LaDonna Werth
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension

Most children can recite a TV commercial and tie a product to the music. Exposure to sales techniques on TV, radio and other media, children often feel they must have the newest toy or breakfast cereals they see and hear about.

The advertising industry sees young people as an excellent market. But when parents discuss contents of ads, they help children learn to use advertising as a source of information.

• What did the ad really tell you about the product?
• How much of the ad was general information that could easily apply to other products?
• What emotions did the ad arouse?
• Is the ad related to something else, such as a television program or a set of toys?

Point out ways ads are deceptive or misleading, even though they do not make false statements. Parents who resist consumerism for themselves are the ones who teach their children to resist it. Teach children to be doers and creators rather than shoppers and buyers.

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