A Place Where A Kid Can't Be A Kid

Thesis:

While the advertisement on TV for Chuck E. Cheese lures children in with its room filled with arcade games, pizza, and a talking human size mouse, it hides a not-so-fun fact - that the food advertised, if eaten regularly, will lead to obesity and disease. I will present evidence proving the negative effect Chuck E. Cheese’s food advertisements have on children, children’s naiveness towards Chuck E. Cheese’s advertisements, and the lack of nutrition found in the food Chuck E. Cheese serves on a regular basis.

Body Paragraph #1:

Chuck E. Cheese is one of the many food advertising titans on TV targeting children. The ads, whether in magazines or television, targets children and attempts to reel them in with fun, games, and food. Not only does Chuck E. Cheese use this tactic,but Yum! Brands, Taco Bell, Nestle, Dannon, KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Burger King and many others, targets young consumers, aka, children, and persuades them to purchase their products. Whether it is their unhealthy food commodities or the free toys found in their kids meals. Television has become the ubiquitous medium to broadcast messages in the United States after WWII. Nowadays, “99% of U.S. children live in homes with televisions” (Quilliam). Unfortunately, TV ads have a substantial amount of power over children. From 2003 to 2004, fast food advertisements have increased among children by as much as 20.4%(Lowry). And companies have spent a total of $1.6 billion on advertising targeting children and adolescents in 2006 (kevinholmesva). Since then, the advertisements and money spent have only increased. Due to the fast food advertising titans focus on kids, the advertisements distributed among hundreds of channels reaches children, and influences what children purchase; therefore it influences their parent’s consumer behavior. “Marketing executives anticipate that children under 12 will spend $35 billion of their own money and influence $200 billion in household spending in 2004” (Kaiser Family). Scientific studies can back up the claim advertising directed at children impact their families purchases. For example, Chuck E. Cheese spends their thirty seconds on TV attracting kids to their arcade room filled with top of the line video games, giant slides, small rides, animatronic characters, the best birthday parties, and of course their well known food, pizza. As soon as a kid watches the commercial, or see’s a colorful Chuck E. Cheese billboard, they go running to their parents, and beg them to take them to Chuck E. Cheese until they give up. The majority of parents cave in only because “many working parents feel guilty about spending less time with their kids, [so they] start spending more money on [their kids]”, and Chuck E. Cheese benefits from the repentant parents (Schlosser 42). I know from past experience the example is true. My baby sister was a pro at convincing my dad to take her every single Sunday night to Chuck E. Cheese. Overall, fast food advertising has a negative effect on children, and Chuck E. Cheese takes advantage of the opportunity to target children from every direction possible.