The Young Elite: Playing on the Digital Jungle Gym or Playing with Fire?

We talk about how the Internet affects business, advertising and the media in general. But how is Web 2.0 already affecting the next generation? What about, say, the 6- year-old target market?

Security firm Symantec recently conducted a study in the U.K. to find out how much parents actually know about their children’s Web activity. This study showed that parents are not only extremely unaware of the number of hours their children spend surfing the Net, their surveillance of content exposure is low. The message: at a young age, children are already becoming the masters of the Internet domain.

As schools, after-school programs and libraries facilitate computer-based learning environments, children are becoming fluent in online games and navigating the Web before they reach junior high. This trend has a significant effect on children’s focus and concepts of community as well as influences the amount of advertising they are exposed to.

Powerful companies like Disney are paying $350 million to create sites like Club Penguin where children can create avatars, interact with others and are, of course, encouraged to “take Club Penguin with you” by purchasing toys in the online gift shop.

The opportunity for advertisers lies in creating and purchasing banners, sponsorships, and working on product placement on Web sites. Advertisements on search engines are also being used to target children. The bottom line is to create “social currency”:

“The real winners in this new media environment are those that manage to develop something that becomes ‘social currency’. At the heart of social currency is a recognition that kids can have a positive influence on brand communications – they are both media owners and brand guardians.”

With this young target market growing in many industries, with it comes questions of ethical concerns. Groups like the Advertising Educational Foundation argue that because children are easily influenced and susceptible to advertising, marketing campaigns and that these need to be regulated.

It will be interesting to see how this generation develops and what messages become most effective with them. After all, a constant bombardment of advertising will certainly have an affect on how much they can absorb and what they will really think critically about.

April 10, 2009. Uncategorized.