This topic became of great interest to me after I took some time to watch television, trying to see things from a child's point of view. Later, I watched more TV and imagined that I was a parent. What struck me the most was a Budweiser beer commercial, which used methods of advertising that would very much appeal to chi

ldren. I continued channel-surf, looking now only for the advertisements. The alcohol advertisements bothered me the most. (Some examples are attached to the end of this paper with conclusions I have drawn.) I then decided to research more into the realm of televised alcohol advertising and its effects on children. I didn't expect to find very much, but surprisingly, I did.

Parents can discuss what the ads are trying to sell and whether that product is good for you. Discussion should also center around how the ad is trying to sell the product, so that children might better distinguish a positive image as fictitious and not a picture of reality. Parents can combat the images on television by exemplifying responsible behavior, setting high expectations on the child's behavior and by not purchasing the products whose advertisements glamorize drug and alcohol use. Finally, the parent can get involved in the fight against advertising alcohol on television by writing to companies, sponsors, publications and networks that contribute to the objectionable advertising (National PTA).

As early as the age of three, children are able to tell the difference between TV commercials and programs. However, most children under the age of six do not understand that the purpose of these commercials is to sell a product. In fact, it has been argued that until age nine, they don't understand that some advertisements appear to be for a good or fun product, when really they may be commercials for things that are not safe or healthy. In other words, they take what they watch at face value, not understanding underlying motives for making things seem different or better than they are (Berk, 1994). This is probably the main reason that children are vulnerable to the messages contained in public advertisements. Even after a child realizes that advertising may resort to any means to sell a product, he is often heavily influenced by fads and celebrity endorsements. While many commercials may be harmless, others can be detrimental to children's views and attitudes concerning the product being advertised and how it is portrayed (Berk, 1994). I believe the forerunner in this concern should be alcohol.

Also in 1997, the network ABC was attacked for not addressing underage alcohol consumption or explaining the dangers of alcohol to children. The argument was that the network had an anti-drug campaign, but was silent on the issues of alcohol. Research indicates that alcohol is a drug, it is the most-used drug among American youth, it is the leading cause of death and disability for the young population and it causes more deaths than all illicit drugs combined. ABC was pushed to include alcohol in their March Against Drugs (Leiber, 1997). This is an important argument. Americans spend a great deal of time and money to try and prevent their children from using drugs such as marijuana and LSD, while p

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1961
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)