Topic > What are the negative effects of advertising essay

Girls have access to many media that are difficult to control and are bombarded with messages from different media and their peers. Accord Teen Fact, the survey was conducted in September 2012, about 78% of teenagers have a cell phone and about half of them own a smartphone. Additionally, approximately 74% of teens access the Internet via a mobile device. The survey also mentions that eight out of ten teenagers own some type of computer. Many parents do not have sufficient knowledge or control of the mass media; therefore, girls are exposed to many harmful advertisements. Social media is everywhere and it's complicated. They are in schools, newspapers, social media, music, websites and so on. The images and words used for social media adverts target children by introducing them to violence and sexualised images. For example, the teen magazine focuses on appearance or how to improve it. “Flip through any popular magazine and you will find ads that are unabashedly, unapologetically sexual. Victoria's Secret, Calvin Klein and every other clothing and perfume dealer use sex to sell." (O'Neill 141) Girls sometimes want to get some simple fashion advice and look at magazines like Seventeen or Teen Magazine, but the messages that they find are about sex and appearance most of the time. Women are portrayed, their appearance is the main focus of the advertisement. They use images, colors and words used for these magazines, they invite girls to read them at the checkout. Because of these messages, girls are forced to abandon a sexualized lifestyle before the appropriate age. These negative messages are harmful to young people