Children's purchasing behavior 'significantly impacted' by social media and mobile apps

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-07/uol-cpb070616.php

Public Release: 6-Jul-2016
Children's purchasing behavior 'significantly impacted' by social media and mobile apps
Study funded by the European Commission examines how children in European countries are influenced by online marketing
University of Leicester

•••••

Research examined 25 of the most popular online games and found that all 'advergames', all social media games and half of the games provided through popular application platforms contained embedded or contextual advertisements

•••••

Exposure to prompts to make in-app purchases in mobile games has a significant impact on children's purchasing behaviour, according to a recent study funded by the European Commission involving Dr Giuseppe Veltri, who now works at the University of Leicester Department of Media Communication.

The study examined the impact on children of in-game adverts in advergames, mobile apps and social media games.

The results suggest that children are often exposed to a number of problematic marketing practices in online games, mobile apps and social media sites which are not always understood by the child consumer.

The researchers found that out of the 25 most popular online games, all 'advergames', all social media games and half of the games provided through popular application platforms contained embedded or contextual advertisements.

•••••

In general, most parents involved in the study did not see online marketing targeting their children as a major risk, and thought that their children are not affected.

For example, parents in France were found to intervene less in their children's online activities, while Swedish parents are more actively engaged in their children's online activities and apply more restrictions.

The research suggests that although parents have an important role in protecting their children online, they are often not prepared to do so.

•••••