The New York Times has announced that they are testing "NYT Kids," a digital paid subscription product targeted to children. A section of the same name has been running in the print edition since 2017. But current Times digital products are limited to adults and teens.
The subscription would include how-to content on crafts, recipes and physical activities. There will be no display advertising. And the product will be complaint with children's digital online privacy laws. (Schultz, 2021)
But the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) focuses on data mining practices not the bigger question of whether it is ethical to market to children. (FTC, 2020)
In the U.K. both Facebook and Google are being pressured to stop marketing to people under the age of 18. (BBC, 2020)
While in the U.S. Google paid $170 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that YouTube hosts "numerous channels" directed to children and has been selling them to marketing partners such as Mattel and Hasbro bragging that “YouTube is today’s leader in reaching children age 6-11 against top TV channels.” (Davis, 2019)
Marketing to children has taken place on television and in magazines for decades. But here too questions are being raised. Last winter the Massachusetts D.A. announced a lawsuit against Juul alleging placements in Nickelodeon, The Cartoon Network, Seventeen magazine and on educational sites for middle and high school students, targeting underage teens. (Kaplan, 2020)
Meanwhile, research has shown that most children do not understand the concept of "selling" until they are at least eight years old; and full comprehension does not occur until age 11. (Brucks, Goldberg & Armstrong, 1986)
Which brings us back to the original question.
Should we ban marketing to children? At what age? Should we introduce more regulations? Or just leave it to the courts? If you were a marketer what would you do? As a consumer will you continue to buy products from a company that markets to kids? Should parents get their kids a subscription to NYT Kids? Would you if you had children?
(2020, July) Complying With COOPA: Frequently Asked Questions. ftc.gov. Retrieved February 16, 2021, from https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/complying-coppa-frequently-asked-questions-0
(2020, September 18) Google and Facebook under pressure to ban children's ads. bbc.com. Retrieved February 16, 2021, from https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-54205229
Davis, W. (2019, September 4) YouTube Agrees To Pay $170 Million Over Children's Privacy Violations. mediapost.com. Retrieved February 16, 2021, from https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/340250/youtube-agrees-to-pay-170-million-over-childrens.html
Kaplan, S. (2020, February 12) Juul Bought Ads Appearing on Cartoon Network and Other Youth Sites, Suit Claims. nytimes.com. Retrieved February 16, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/12/health/juul-vaping-lawsuit.html
Merrie Brucks, Marvin E. Goldberg, and Gary M. Armstrong (1986) ,"Children's Cognitive Responses to Advertising", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 13, eds. Richard J. Lutz, Provo, UT : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 650-654. Retrieved February 16, 2021, from https://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/6574/volumes/v13/NA-13
