A qualitative approach to unravel young children's advertising literacy for YouTube advertising: in-depth interviews with children and their parents
Loose,Femke Hudders,Liselot De Jans,Steffi Vanwesenbeeck,Ini
Loose,Femke
Hudders,Liselot
De Jans,Steffi
Vanwesenbeeck,Ini
Abstract
Purpose This study aims to examine young children's (ages 4 to 7) knowledge and skills (i.e. their advertising literacy) for television (TV) commercials, YouTube pre-roll ads and influencer marketing. Furthermore, this study explores how parental perceptions and practices and children's social abilities influence the development of their advertising literacy. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with parents (N = 35) and their child(ren) (ages 4 to 7, N = 40). Findings Results revealed preschool children have advertising literacy skills for TV commercials and YouTube pre-roll ads, but not for influencer marketing. These skills are limited to advertising recognition based on perceptual cues and a simple understanding of selling intent. Children's advertising skills evolved according to age but did not relate to social development. Furthermore, advertising literacy was related to parental media mediation: the more restrictive parents were regarding media use, the less advertising literacy their children appeared to have. No moral reflections regarding advertising were found among the preschool children. Originality/value This study fills significant gaps in the literature on young children and advertising. It conducts a qualitative investigation into young children's knowledge of digital advertising formats (pre-roll ads and influencer marketing) and how they differ from traditional advertising (TV commercials). Furthermore, it takes both parental influences and social developmental variables into account.
Description
Funding Information: Funding: This work was supported by Special Research Fund of Ghent University. Publisher Copyright: © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.
Date
2023-01-02
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Research Projects
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Keywords
Young children, Advertising processing, Advertising literacy, Kidfluencers, Parental strategies, Preschoolers, CONSUMER SOCIALIZATION, PERSUASION KNOWLEDGE, PERCEPTIONS, RECOGNITION, MEDIATION, MESSAGES, MODEL, FOOD, COPE
Citation
Loose, F, Hudders, L, De Jans, S & Vanwesenbeeck, I 2023, 'A qualitative approach to unravel young children's advertising literacy for YouTube advertising : in-depth interviews with children and their parents', Young Consumers, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 74-94. https://doi.org/10.1108/YC-04-2022-1507
License
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess