'Mum, can I play on the internet?' Parents' understanding, perception and responses to online advertising designed for children

Research about the role of parents in children’s consumption of online advertisements is scarce. Parents are viewed as having a responsibility to deter children from invasive marketing, yet with the rise of non-traditional marketing it is unclear whether they have the knowledge and skills necessary to undertake this role.

‘Mum, can I play on the internet?’ Parents’ understanding, perception and responses to online advertising designed for children

Lara Spiteri Cornish

Coventry Business School, Coventry University

Introduction

Worldwide, children are becoming ever more connected. In 2012, a survey of 9,000 adult and child internet users in 12 countries, including China, India, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, found that children spend on average 39 hours per month on the internet – twice as much time as their parents believe (UNICEF 2012). Levels of internet access are highest in the industrial world but are rising rapidly...

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