Food and drink companies must stop using “manipulative” online games and apps to market unhealthy products to children, a leading academic warned yesterday.
Dr Haiming Hang, of the University of Bath, called for regulation to control the games, which are legal.
New evidence suggests that children are being regularly targeted by advertisers on the internet.
The widespread use of so-called advergames — games designed for mobile phones or tablets and aimed at children — has been disclosed by a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary.
They have been developed by a number of companies, including McDonald’s and Coca-Cola.
Since 2007, companies have been banned from advertising foods high in fat, salt and sugar during children’s television programmes.
The regulation was brought in by Ofcom, the media regulator, but the ban does not extend to the internet.
Coca-Cola, which developed games with McDonald’s, said they were aimed at children aged 13 or over. McDonald’s said only its brand was visible in the game.
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Eddie
What's wrong with the adults who buy that crap just saying no? I told my grandchildren never to even bother mentioning it as I NEVER take them there.
ReplyDeleteThey never ask.
No seems such an easy word to say - but so many have problems and find saying YES is easier. Of course in the long term YES is not always the right answer. I wish more would appreciate this but the pressure from the companies keep mounting, we can only do our best to highlight this fact and show/give the alternative view.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and commenting.
All the best Jan