Fast Food Ads on Social Media
In Australia and effectually the world, junk nutrient companies are targeting children on social media.
In our new written report, we institute about major social media platforms have restrictions on the advertising of tobacco, alcohol and gambling to children.
Simply there are hardly any such restrictions in place around junk food.
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Children are exposed to junk food marketing everywhere
Globally, nosotros've seen persistent calls to protect children from exposure to the marketing of unhealthy food and drinks.
This recognises the harmful effects of junk nutrient marketing on children.
While some governments have adopted legislation to restrict kids' exposure to the marketing of unhealthy foods, these laws typically don't utilize to social media.
Some food companies have voluntarily pledged to restrict their marketing of unhealthy foods to children. But most of these pledges are narrow in telescopic and full of loopholes that allow junk food marketing to proliferate.
Every bit a result, children are heavily exposed to unhealthy food marketing, including on TV, online and through outdoor advertising.
Junk food marketing on social media
In Commonwealth of australia, a contempo study constitute almost half of children aged 10-12, and almost 90% of those aged 13-16, were agile on social media.
Junk nutrient brands target children on social media through direct advertizing, sponsored posts, and by integrating their brand into engaging and entertaining content.
This includes establishing promotional relationships with online "influencers", who then promote the brand equally part of the content they post.
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In i recent study, more than than half of Australian kids who were active on Facebook had "liked" a fast food make, which subscribes them to its content. A similar proportion of kids had "liked" a soft drink make.
Another study showed teenagers engaged with posts advert junk food more often than they engaged with posts promoting healthy food.
There's too prove that when kids are exposed to unhealthy food marketing on social media, it increases the chance they'll consume the promoted product over an culling brand of the same type of snack.
Social media policies on junk food advert
In our study, we focused on the 16 largest social media platforms globally. These included platforms popular with children, such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat and Facebook.
We examined each platform's ad policies related to nutrient and drinks.
We plant none of the social media platforms take comprehensive restrictions on the advertising of unhealthy foods to children.
YouTube Kids, a platform popular with children nether 13, does ban directly junk nutrient marketing. But media reports have shown children could still be exposed to junk nutrient brands through product placement and promotional videos on the platform.
Other advertisement policies
We also looked at each platform's advertising policies related to other areas affecting public health.
We constitute nearly of the social media platforms were prepared to take a stand against tobacco, alcohol and gambling ads targeting kids.
In many cases, their policies in these areas are aligned with government regulations. But in some cases they become farther.
Facebook and Instagram also recently implemented a ban on advertising diet and weight-loss products too equally cosmetic procedures to users under 18. These policies are substantially more restrictive than most government policies.
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Notably, current social media advertisement policies don't completely eliminate children'south exposure to ads in these areas. For example, children however report seeing gambling ads on social media.
Although these policies need to be more than comprehensive, they do signal social media platforms' willingness to accept action to protect children from the advertising of unhealthy products.
Social media platforms accept an opportunity
Social media platforms accept demonstrated they recognise the of import role they can play as corporate citizens.
In that location's at present a real opportunity for them to have concerted action to reduce children'due south exposure to junk food marketing.
In doing so, they can follow the lead of children'due south entertainment networks, such as Disney and Nickelodeon, that take taken steps to restrict advertising of junk food to children.
In line with global public health recommendations, social media platforms should adopt junk nutrient advertising restrictions that:
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use to all children and adolescents aged under 18
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cover a broad range of marketing techniques (for example, direct advertizement, sponsored posts, and brand relationships with "influencers")
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use a comprehensive definition of unhealthy foods and drinks, based on authorities-endorsed criteria.
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Nosotros need global regulations
Public health groups have consistently highlighted that food industry self-regulation in the area of junk nutrient marketing has proven ineffective. As such, there are strong global recommendations for comprehensive national and international government regulation.
But the potential role of social media platforms in regulating junk food marketing has largely escaped attention.
While we wait farther regime regulation, social media platforms tin accept immediate action to protect children from the marketing tactics of junk food advertisers. This would exist a critical contribution to efforts to better immature people's diets and address the growing problem of obesity worldwide.
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