Adproofing Your Kids

Adproofing Your Kids

Adproofing Your Kids by Tania Andrusiak a former advertising professional and journalist, and Daniel Donahoo, an author and commentator on child and family policy.

Like many parents, Tania and Daniel were concerned about how to counter the marketing messages directed at their own two children. The main aims of the book are to provide parents with practical ways to alleviate pestering behaviour at home and out and about (how to deal with supermarket tantrums!), and above all to teach their children how to think critically about the values being suggested to them through marketing.

parents really want practical advice on how to address issues at home like:violence in movies, TV and computer games the impact of sexualised images on childhood how to protect a childs body image junk food advertising and health online media - how to protect kids in cyberspaceTania Andrusiak and Daniel Donahoo, the authors of a new book, Adproofing Your Kids: Raising critical thinkers in a media-saturated world began their book full of deep concerns about the effects of targeting marketing on young children... including their own. They are not alone and concerns over junk food advertising, childhood obesity, the Internet, body image and exposure to violence are common for many parents.

They write: 'During our research we found that our concerns were shared on a daily basis by families all over. And the problems all arise from two clear facts: young children today spend more time immersed in media and are subjected to more targeted marketing than any generation before them'.

Through talking to children, parents and researches Tania and Daniel have found that we can no longer afford to have a generation gap, and they have deliberately designed their book to be a bridge to help connect parents and their children with popular culture.

They say: 'there is no denying parents are very concerned about the impact of marketing and advertising on their children. But parents are also the most powerful influence on their children. With this book we want to give them practical strategies for empowering their children, so they can strengthen their ability to make smart choices when they are exposed to advertising messages'.

In their research, they found that parents were highly concerned about their children's exposure to advertising, inappropriate sexual messages, violent acts shown as acceptable responses, images of unattainable body shapes and the effect of new technology (particularly on the Internet).

'We could all see that our children are presented with a constant barrage of messages well before they are able to understand or deal with them. Parents spoke to us about the negative effects that these messages well before they are able to understand or deal with them. Parents spoke to us about the negative effects that these messages and different kinds of media are having on their children's behaviour and development. Their main concern was how to protect their children and help them 'talk back' to the constant stream of media messages.'

Parents asked Daniel and Tania:
'My Kids want to spend hours in front of the TV. How do I teach them to manage their viewing?'
'Supermarket use clever marketing to push cereals, poppers, chips and chocolate to our kids and I've stopped taking them with because of the pestering. How do other parents cope?
'Sexualised images are everywhere! What are my kids learning from them, and how can I help them to question these messages?'
'I'm worried about what my kids might encounter when they go online. How can I let them use the Internet safely?'
'I don't want my daughter to grow up hating her body like I did.'

'In response to these and many other questions, we contacted hundreds of parents, researches and specialists (in early childhood development, media literacy and education) to create a resource that deals with the issues parents themselves identified, and that has effective and creative solutions. We can all feel helpless in the face of a marketing-saturated world. However, like so many other parents, we believe the most important thing we can do is help our children question the values present to them and realise they can choose whether they accept or reject them.

Interesting Statistics:
* Average amount of TV watched daily by 4-month babies: 44 minutes
* Amount of free-to-air TV watched daily by children 0-4 years: 154 minutes
* Age of youngest children diagnosed with eating disorders: 7 years

* Number of violent acts every hour in TV cartoon/action programs: 20
* Percentage of preschool children using the Internet: 23%
* Number of TV ads the average child is likely to see while watching commercial networks each year: 10,00-23,000.

What others are saying about Adproofing Your Kids:
'Parents need as much help as possible to deal with the manipulative and exploitative practice of advertising and marketing to children. Protecting our kids is extremely tough when corporations are in the business of employing neuroscientist to discover the best ways to target a child's unconscious mind. Adproofing Your Kids gives parents timely and important guidance and loads of great practical advice. For anyone who cares about kids, it's a must read.' - Julie Gale, Director Kids Free 2B Kids.
'... It is only through books like this one, are we going to be able to support our children to be critical consumers and active resistors of the massive diet of consumerism served up to them everyday. The sooner this book is available to parents the better. But beware,. Don't let the advertisers buy it!' - Professor Karen Malone, Regional Director UNESCO Growing Up Cities Asia-Pacific; Chair, Asian-Pacific Child Friendly Cities Regional Network.
'At last, a read-able book to support parents in the most difficult job in the world; parenting the media'- Elizabeth Hansely, Professor of Law, Vice-President, Australian Council on Children and the Media.

Tania Andrusiak has previously worked din advertising and as journalist.

Daniel Donahoo is the author of Idolizing Children and a commentator on children and family policy. Daniel lives with Tania Andrusiak in Victoria and they have two contentious little consumers of their own.

Adproofing Your Kids
Finch Publishing
Authors: Tania Andrusiak and Daniel Donahoo
ISBN: 9781876451875
Price: $24.95