Growing Up With Advertising

Learning to handle advertisements is part of growing up
Evidence does not back further regulation of advertising to young people

Young people should not be 'protected' by increased regulation from advertising of products such as snacks, fizzy drinks, computer games and alcohol. On the contrary learning how to handle advertisements is an educative part of growing up, finds Adrian Furnham – Professor of Psychology at University College, London and Europe's most published psychologist - in a study, Growing Up With Advertising, published by the Social Affairs Unit.

Those who seek to impose further regulation on the advertising of these products do not have the research evidence on their side and may do harm. Many other factors other than advertising influence young peoples’ purchasing decisions, including their personality, their parents, their peers, their consumption of non-advertising media, and their cash power. Many of these are more important than advertising, especially parents and peers. He cites evidence on which styles of parenting are best (warm and supportive but with clear rules and good role models); and to show that young people themselves believe peers are the strongest influence.