Student sample for assessment
Written by a Year 6 student in Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia.
Every day, children see thousands of advertisements designed to make them want things. Cartoons are interrupted by toy ads. YouTube videos are preceded by advertisements. Even playground games have product placements. We have decided it's acceptable to use advertising techniques on young people whose brains are still developing—and that decision needs to change. Advertising to children should be more strictly regulated. Some argue that stricter regulation would limit business and parental choice. It's true that advertising drives the economy, and parents ultimately make purchasing decisions. But here's what these arguments miss: children aren't mini-adults. Their brains don't fully develop until the mid-twenties, particularly the parts that handle impulse control and long-term thinking. Advertisers know this. They deliberately use bright colours, fast cuts, and emotional appeals because they work on developing brains. If we know children are vulnerable, why do we allow marketers to target that vulnerability? The costs of current advertising are real. Children push parents toward sugary foods, which contribute to obesity. They pester for expensive toys, creating family conflict. They absorb messages about what their bodies should look like, feeding insecurity. These aren't small problems. They're health and wellbeing issues affecting millions of young people. Stricter regulation doesn't mean eliminating advertising. It means setting limits: no advertising of unhealthy foods before 9pm, age-appropriate warnings on ads targeting children, and restrictions on using child psychology in marketing. Other countries—Sweden, Norway, Belgium—have implemented these limits without destroying their economies. Their children are no less happy. Their toy markets still thrive. We regulate advertising for cigarettes and alcohol because we recognise that young people need protection. Children cannot vote or buy independently. They rely on adults to make decisions for them. If we're willing to protect them from some dangers, we must be willing to protect them from advertising designed to exploit their developing minds.