Toys, tots, and America's national hearth: A phenomenology of children's television advertising and the parent-child relationship

Current literature suggests that children are less affected by advertising when they are more aware of the persuasive intent behind advertising. Using the qualitative tradition of phenomenology, this study examines twelve parents' experiences with television advertising aimed at their children and how they coped with advertising's influences. Interviews focused on both how advertising aimed at children influences the parent-child relationship and the mediation tools used by parents to lessen the effects of advertising on their children. Eight themes were identified that illustrated the meaning parents gave to their experiences. Textural and structural descriptions derived from the interviews revealed that children's television advertising creates wants that are minimized by teaching and communicating. Participants dealt with the influence of advertising by establishing boundaries, recognizing that it is their responsibility as a parent to educate their children, and managing conflict that arose due to purchase requests. By utilizing learning opportunities and communicating to their children about the realities of the marketplace, participants were able to help their children develop cognitive defenses against the influences of advertising. It was concluded that while children's television advertising can create short-term stress for parents and children, parents perceive that it does not cause long-term strain on the parent, the child or their relationship. Finally, the impact of the study's findings is compared and contrasted with existing literature.