The volume of advertising we’re exposed to has mushroomed in recent times. In the 1980s, it was estimated that a person living in a large city saw an average of 2,000 advertising messages per day: on billboards, bus stops and branded merchandise, for example. By 2021, some studies were suggesting that figure was more like 10,000 a day.
So what happened? The obvious game-changer, of course, was the coming of the internet – and social media in particular. Now, advertisers are able to sell us their products without us even realising we’ve been manipulated. This week’s online safety guide has some top tips for helping young people identify less obvious adverts on social media.
Social media has not only redrawn the landscape in terms of advertising exposure: it’s ripped up the rulebook on buyer behaviour. Potential customers are now shown adverts based on their interests. Digital devices let us instantly convert that impulse to buy into an actual purchase. We can be persuaded that we want a product without even realising we’ve been advertised to. This can be especially harmful for younger people. A recent survey, for example, found that 86% of teens regularly see adverts for junk food on social media; 62% reported seeing gambling ads (although rules on promoting this around under-18s have since been tightened). Our #WakeUpWednesday poster can help youngsters realise when they’re being sold to on social media.
