Post: Ads Are Making Kids Sick
Ads Are Making Kids Sick
The American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement yesterday linking ads to obesity, poor nutrition, cigarette, and alcohol use among young people.
Some of the statistics in the statement are alarming: Young people view 40,000 ads a year on television alone -- half of which are for food, mostly junk food. Add in the advertising kids see on Internet, magazines and billboards, and that number goes up to 3,000 ads a day.
So, what's the solution?
"One solution that is noncontroversial and would be easy to implement is to educate children and teenagers about the effects of advertising—media literacy," reads the statement.
"Curricula have been developed that teach young people to become critical viewers of media in all of its forms, including advertising. Media education seems to be protective in mitigating harmful effects of media, including the effects of cigarette, alcohol, and food advertising."
Ah, we couldn't agree more!
The AAP also recommends that parents limit non-educational screen time to no more than two hours a day, and that school advertising is severely limited if not banned altogether.
Yes, yes, yes.
For more, read the complete statement here.