What do you need to know to help kids resist the pressure of alcohol advertising?
With summer approaching, kids have more time on their hands and fewer positive options for spending that time. During down time, many kids turn to experimentation with alcohol. Heavy advertising geared towards teenagers makes alcohol use look attractive and exciting. The reality is that alcohol use among youth has been connected to a host of risk factors, including drug use, criminal behavior, and sexual assault. How are these companies reaching our kids, and what can we do to protect them?
How Companies Target Teens.
Sporting events and concerts. These events, often sponsored by alcohol companies, reach a large number of youths. In return for sponsorship, signage, gear, giveaways, and other supplies are often emblazoned with brand logos and slogans. Tie-ins with events such as these serve to reinforce the idea that drinking is trendy and popular among youth.
Media. Though you won’t find alcohol ads in media designed primarily for kids and teens, marketers are free to advertise in magazines and during TV programs where a majority of the audience is made up of adults. Since these outlets reach most of the youth population as well, kids and teens see a large number of pro-alcohol messages on a regular basis. These messages present alcohol use as part of a carefree lifestyle with no mention of the negative aspects of excessive use.
Brand websites. Visitors must be of legal drinking age to enter product websites. However, a basic ability to subtract and a willingness to punch in a fake birthday can get almost any kid past the electronic “carding system”. Inside games, contests, recipes, gear, and rowdy photos of fellow imbibers await, building a shared community spirit that speaks to teens need for fun and belonging.
What Can You Do?
Set a good example. Don’t glamorize drinking or the hard-partying lifestyle. Keep comments about your own weekend activities to yourself; resist the temptation to try to appear “cool and in touch” by sharing personal information about your own drinking. It’s inappropriate and unprofessional.
Talk to kids about marketing. Kids don’t like to feel that they are being manipulated. Point out how alcohol advertisers target them and care more about their bottom line than they do about kid’s health and safety.
Provide alternative activities. Many kids turn to alcohol out of boredom, which can be especially problematic during the summer months. Give kids many choices about other, more productive things they can do with their time.
Listen. Many kids turn to alcohol and other drugs to cope with problems in their lives. Offer kids alternative stress relievers so they don’t feel the need to self-medicate. Provide opportunities for kids to talk to you and to each other about issues they are struggling with.
