Summer vacation!  After all those hours confined to the classroom, teens, tweens, and younger children will suddenly have so much free time.   During the summer they will go on online, watch sporting events on TV, listen to music, listen to the radio, and read magazines.  And they’ll be bombarded with ads about drinking beer, wine, and liquor. 

                Marketers pay special attention to teens because of the amount of money they spend buying clothes, magazines, electronics, and music.  In an article entitled “Advertising to Teens,” Susan Carney states that “companies know that once they have ‘branded’ a child, he or she is likely to be a customer for life, or from ‘cradle to the grave.’”  Perhaps Carney’s statement is too general; however, marketers target teens to influence their attitudes about drinking.

                Parents may believe that ads are harmless and that their sons and daughters don’t pay any attention to them.  Marketers target the age level, investigate the psychological need, and choose the best vehicle to communicate the messages.   According to an article entitled “Alcohol Advertising and Kids,” teens are not immune to the messages.  The article indicates that “child development experts have voiced concerns about the possible links between children’s exposure to alcohol advertising and the development of attitudes about alcohol and drinking habits….the media reinforces the idea that alcohol consumption is an everyday activity—nothing more than harmless, rebellious fun.”  Unless teens become aware of how to identify the purpose and the psychological need, they may be snared by  attractive, compelling ads.

Studies have indicated that older teens who drink alcohol aren’t directly affected by ads that glorify drinking, but research indicates that both girls and boys who drink remember the ads that influenced them.  Susan Carney, author of the article, “Advertising to Teens,” says that “wine and alcohol consumption by 18-year old girls is directly related to television viewing between the ages of 13 and 15 and that young boys who are good at remembering beer ads at 15 years of age, tend to be heavy drinkers when they are 18.”  Of course other factors contribute to the drinking habits of older teens, but graphic memories of ads indicate that some marketers have successfully communicated their messages.

                Even though teens are the primary target, researchers intimate that children in third and fourth grade begin to formulate opinions about drinking.  Teachers and parents may help them realize the strategies used for marketing alcohol products.   Teachers may help students analyze a familiar ad and then compare it to one that’s aired at a sporting event.  Questions about the audience and message may promote an open discussion about the misconceptions of some ads.

                Some middle school pre-teens make the decision about whether to experiment with drinking when they’re fourteen or fifteen.  At this age they have the ability to develop the skills to analyze the hidden meaning of the ads, as well as why marketers are focusing on them.   If their parents are aware of the powerful effect of the ads, conversations about underage drinking may help tweens make informed decisions.

                The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign has recently launched a series of ads to help teens think about the dangers of alcohol and drugs.  According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, their purpose is to “Help them to live about the influence.”  Three ads entitled “Shoulders,”  “Human Puppet,” and “Fitting In” are being shown on TV, at movie theaters, and online.  These ads may be seen on the following website:  www.MediaCampaign.org.

                Cortland Area Communities that Care, CACTC, reinforces the importance of preventing risky behaviors.  CACTC supports parents, teachers, and neighbors so that we can work together to help our children form healthy living habits.

Jane Richards is a member of the CATCTC PR.Com publicity committee.  She’s an adjunct at SUNY Cortland, a mother, and a grandmother.