'Media Detective' Reduces Kids' Susceptibility to Alcohol and Tobacco Ads

Teaching even young children to think critically about alcohol and tobacco advertising may reduce their risk for using either substance in the future, ScienceDaily reported Aug. 24.

In a study conducted by Innovation Research Training, Inc., of North Carolina, about 700 third to fifth graders were randomly assigned to participate in “Media Detective,” a two-week course designed to boost critical thinking skills with regard to advertising, or to a waiting list.

At the end of the study, children who participated in the media literacy program, particularly boys, were significantly less interested in tobacco- and alcohol-related products than nonparticipants and reported less interest in using alcohol and tobacco in the future.

Teaching kids to recognize how advertisers try to manipulate their emotions helps them respond to youth-targeted marketing more logically, said Erica Weinstraub Austin, director of the Murrow Center for Media and Health Promotion at Washington State University and coauthor of research underlying the study.

“We underestimate the extent to which young children internalize advertising messages. This can affect their consumer decisions later on,” said Austin. “Media literacy has the potential to help reduce health disparities in the future, because individuals who need it the most seem to benefit the most. We think that is quite exciting.”

The study was published in the September 2010 issue of Pediatrics.