I would make sure that the adverts promoted, were ones that advertised and informed people of issues most relevant, meaningful and applicable to today’s environment. An example of this type of advertising could be on knife crime or child obesity. Advertising at the moment seems to be solely focusing on moneymaking aspects, not the promotion of awareness-based advertising, which focuses on social issues.
The fact is, people are heavily influenced by the media and in particular advertising. Children are especially vulnerable to the world of advertising, as children’s television channels tend to promote the idea of children being bought this new toy or that new game. Hence, parents are finding themselves pressured to keep their children happy by purchasing these material objects, which children will soon either grow tired of or grow out of.
So, in my opinion I can’t see how using a proportion of this advertising space to promote social issues, which would actually have a significant and positive impact, could be seen as wrong. People of all ages have the right to be consumers by their own right and not to be constantly bombarded by advertisements promoting unnecessary and money scamming products. Advertisement space should be used for both marketing consumption and for productive purposes, raising awareness and giving information on subjects whether positive or negative that affect society.
About this story
This story was produced by Jamila Sami-Ludlam, age 14.
