The World Health Organinzation (WHO) is urging governments to take active measures of reducing the ads volume circulating in the social media. In a report, the world body also urged parents to protect their children from fast food advertisements that pop up on mobile apps, social media and online video platforms. WHO researchers conducted an […]
The World Health Organinzation (WHO) is urging governments to take active measures of reducing the ads volume circulating in the social media.
In a report, the world body also urged parents to protect their children from fast food advertisements that pop up on mobile apps, social media and online video platforms.
WHO researchers conducted an analysis of the situation in Europe regarding the digital marketing of fast food high in salt, sugar and fats to kids.
According to Emma Boyland, one of the researchers in the study, kids are increasingly exposed to persuasive and tailored marketing techniques through advergames and social media sites, particularly in the absence of effective regulations.
Despite the stubbornly high rates of childhood obesity in Europe, the trend of online fast food marketing persists in the region, experts said.
Because parents do not often see the same advertisements or observe the online activities of their kids, most of them underestimate the scale of the issue, researchers said.
“We think it’s huge, but parents don’t know,” said João Breda, program manager for nutrition, physical activity and obesity at WHO. “[S]ometimes they don’t realize their children are being exposed.”
Meanwhile, the WHO report recommends several suggestions to address the problem, including the following:
• Encourage countries to recognize their duty to protect kids from pervasive digital marketing with statutory regulation.
• Extend existing offline protection online.
• Extend regulation of internet content to push Internet platforms to remove fast food marketing.
Boyland says kids have the right to access and participate in digital media, but when they do, they also have the right to safety.
“[T]hey have the right to protection of their health and privacy and to not be economically exploited,” added Boyland.
Worries have been expressed about McDonald’s cashing in on the success of Pokemon Go to lure children inside and even gather data on the age, location and preferences of individuals to more finely target their adverts.
View the full report here
