Television Advertising and Education

Abstract

Television is education. It may not be education one approves of, but children learn facts, adopt attitudes and values, and learn behaviours from television, just as they learn from the rest of their social and physical environment. Commercials are ‘educational’ too, in the same sense — that, is, there is much that can be learned from them (for good or ill). Indeed, it is the fact that learning occurs, coupled with certain assumptions about the ‘message’ of advertising, that arouses the concern of parents, educators, and citizen's lobby groups. In general, anybody who claims to be interested in a holistic way in the educational process must be aware of the potential of advertising to influence and teach.