IELTS essay sample: Advertisements targeting young children should be banned
Some say that advertisements of toys and snacks have a huge impact on children and their parents, and therefore advertising to children should be banned. Do you agree or disagree with the statement? Give your own opinion.
Here is a band 9 IELTS essay on this topic. Need help with IELTS writing? Get your IELTS essays, letters and reports corrected by me.
Band 9 IELTS essay sample
Advertisers target children because they get influenced easily. When they see advertisements of snacks and toys on television they will want those products for themselves. This makes selling easier. Some people believe that marketers must not be allowed to target children. I certainly agree with that view.
Children are too young to distinguish good from bad and right from wrong. They believe all that they see on TV. Manufacturers of fast foods and toys spend a lot of money on advertising their products to children. They only show the positive aspects of their products. Fast foods like instant noodles can cause several health programs. Children don’t understand this. They insist on having those products for breakfast or even lunch and parents are forced to satisfy those cravings. One can’t quite blame the children either. When they see models of their age eating certain foods or playing with certain toys in commercials, they will want those things for themselves. Advertisers know this better than anybody else. That is why they are targeting kids in the first place.
Parents are helpless here. They know such products aren’t good for their children, but they also want to indulge their kids. Today’s nuclear families revolve around the children. Sometimes parents even buy expensive toys that they cannot afford. They want to keep their children happy, no matter what.
To conclude, I certainly agree with the argument that advertisements targeting young children should be banned. It is easy to influence the thought process of kids. Brands should not be allowed to exploit this weakness. When advertisers market their products to children, they aren’t doing anyone except themselves a service.
Band 7.5 IELTS essay sample
It is argued by some people that the advertisements which target young people should be banned from television. However, in my opinion, banning adverts is not a good idea. Instead, the government should monitor the content of these commercials to ensure that they provide only positive and meaningful information.
One of the reasons behind supporting the ban on adverts targeting children is that youngsters will get negatively influenced by the commercials. As the young minds are not capable of differentiating between good and bad, it is highly possible that their decision will be influenced by the advertisements. These days promotion of fast foods, instant noodles and packaged soups target children and teens with their comical and interesting content. As a result of this, younger ones are more inclined to eat noodles and other readymade food items which are detrimental for their health. For example, the advertisement of instant noodles, pasta and soups mostly includes young people in their promotion and hence target the kids.
On the other hand, I believe that totally banning the advertisement will not be the right decision. Instead, there should be a regulation on the content of commercials and they should be strictly monitored. If the advertisement is designed to influence the kids towards positive things, it will prove beneficial for them. For example, an advert demonstrating the benefits of cow milk or vegetables will certainly encourage the children to consume milk or veggies on a regular basis. The advertising companies may present famous cartoon characters as superheroes to capture the attention of the young generation. Furthermore, there are other forms of media such as Youtube and Facebook which are quite popular among children, and they also leave a great impact on adolescents. So, it is not only television advertisements which influence young people’s behaviour; therefore, banning them will not make a great difference.
In conclusion, rather than banning the commercials which target the little ones, it would be more advisable to regulate and monitor their content. Advertisers must not be allowed to make false claims or mislead children through their ads.
