ENG2D English Assignment and Concerning Fact for Teenagers

Introduction

In the modern day scenario advertisements is one of the most important means by which the companies reach out to people. It is a known fact that each and every company or brand has to promote their products to their targeted audience through the means of advertisements (De Mooij 2018). These advertisements are usually done in three formats; they are television, outdoor and transit. In this modern scenario, most of the teenagers have smartphones, i-pads, laptops, and other such smart digital objects. As a result of this, the teenagers can see many advertisements are internet in the online mediums. Just as there are several advantages of advertisements at the same time, there are also several drawbacks.

Advertisements – a concerning fact for teenagers

This is a concerning fact as most of the teenagers are at a very sensible and vulnerable age. At this point in time, whatever they see around them affects their minds and their actions in a huge way. So, it is surely a very alarming fact that some of the advertisements might create some negative effects on their minds. Some of these advertisements can be the ones that feature the brands of alcohols, tobacco or other such addictive materials.

The teenagers get attracted to these products and feel that they also need to consume the products. Most of the advertisements that deal with tobacco and alcohols are featured in such a way that people who consume alcohol or cigarettes have a very hero like appearances and are valued within society. So, it is for this reason that the teenagers feel the need for consuming these materials. 

Negative aspects of advertisements

The most concerning fact is that teenage is such a vulnerable age (Moffitt 2017). It is during this age that individuals usually get carried away and they do not really know how to differentiate between that what is wrong and what is right. They feel that they are doing the right thing (Farrelly et al. 2015). On top of that, there is also some pornographic content shown in some advertisements. Apart from this, there are some advertisements that show the objectification of the female or the male bodies.

In other words, a garment company or an apparel brand will be projecting some very stylish women in ultra slim bodies. This might instigate the teenage girls to stop eating and starve themselves on a strict diet to get such a body that the model had in the advertisement. Some cosmetic brands like that of Nivea or other brands might embrace the fair complexion as the best. This might have a very bad effect on the girls having a dark complexion. They might start looking at themselves with hatred and might also harm themselves.

Positive aspects of advertisements

However, there are also several good aspects of advertisements as well. Several medical companies advertise many life-saving drugs through the advertisements. This might help people to know about the medicines and their uses (Chainey and Stephens 2016). Many of the advertisements are about modern technological tools and up gradations that are being launched all around the world. This is immensely important as it helps the individuals in keeping themselves updated.

Conclusion

So, it is the duty of the parents, caregivers, teachers, and others to make sure that they are keeping a strict eye upon the kinds of advertisements that their teen kids are getting attracted to. They have to help out their kids in understanding the good and the bad in these advertisements. They have to make sure that the teenagers are being able to understand the pros and cons of these advertisements.

References

Chainey, T.A. and Stephens, C., 2016. ‘Let’s get wasted’: A discourse analysis of teenagers’ talk about binge drinking. Journal of health psychology, 21(5), pp.628-639.

De Mooij, M., 2018. Global marketing and advertising: Understanding cultural paradoxes. SAGE Publications Limited.

Farrelly, M.C., Duke, J.C., Crankshaw, E.C., Eggers, M.E., Lee, Y.O., Nonnemaker, J.M., Kim, A.E. and Porter, L., 2015. A randomized trial of the effect of e-cigarette TV advertisements on intentions to use e-cigarettes. American journal of preventive medicine, 49(5), pp.686-693.

Moffitt, T.E., 2017. Adolescence-limited and life-course-persistent antisocial behavior: A developmental taxonomy. In Biosocial Theories of Crime (pp. 69-96). Routledge.