Violent Commercials in Television Programs for Children

Abstract

A study of Saturday morning television suggests children are exposed to more violent acts per minute by commercials promoting upcoming programs than by programming or other commercials. Under the current rating system, parents wanting to shield children from televised violence cannot make informed choices when some commercials, but not programs, are excessively violent. Furthermore, because violent stimuli produce immediate cognitive deficits, children may poorly process advertisements following an excessively violent commercial. That is, child viewers are being retained at the expense of overall advertising efficacy. A proposal that could satisfy all stakeholders—parents, policy makers, advertisers, and broadcasters—is offered.