http://smallbusiness.chron.com/cons-advertising-teenagers-36214.html
This is an interesting article that appeared in the "Houston Chronicle" about why it isn't a very good idea, psychologically speaking, to advertise to teenagers--or Generation Z, as the media calls it--people between the ages of 12 and 17. The article talks about how teenagers have the most expendable income, meaning they generally don't have bills to pay. Also, teens spend a great deal of their time using digital devices. For advertisers, this means they have all of these people with money just ready to buy things. Even though this is a great thing for advertisers, psychologists are saying that selling directly to teens is probably not so good for the teens.
For one thing, because teenagers are still growing up and trying to establish their own identities, it means they might be more receptive to different products and ads. Also, because teens are so used to technology, advertisers can use lots of different forms of advertising to reach them, which wouldn't be true for audiences of older people, for example.
Psychologists say that because teens are trying to figure out who they are, advertisers could easily talk them into things they don't really need, and even things that aren't good for them, like tobacco products. Even though there are regulations about advertising tobacco to teens, the companies still do it, more in Europe than in the U.S. The article says that in Germany, where 2,012 teens saw generic cigarette ads, 277 started smoking.
One of the areas in which teens are most taken advantage of by advertisers, according to this article is junk food. The more teens see these ads, the more they buy the products. And, the article says, the more ads in general to which teens are exposed, the more of their expendable cash they spend.
As a teenager, especially since we've been talking about this so much in school, I'm starting to pay more and more attention to how many ads are trying to get me to buy something I don't really need. this article shows me that it's easier to sell to people like me than I realized.
I really like your feedback on this article. After watching the Merchant's of Cool in zero I realized how much of an effect teens have on the market. Adding this article to the mix I realize that I really need to start paying attention to what I buy and pay attention to the messages media send me so I don't get sucked into buying products that I don't need or could be possibly dangerous to my health such as cigarettes.
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