The Misleading Media

This PediaSure advertisement really gets under my skin. It's one of those "quick fix," "easy solution" advertisements. PediaSure uses an experience shared by most, if not all, parents: "My child is a picky eater," or "My child won't eat X, Y, or Z." Never fear though, because instead of disciplining your child or finding some creative way to teach your children to eat foods that are good for them, why don't we just appease your children with a sugary drink we know they'll just love.

It's not just the shameless marketing of their product (which is obviously inferior to actually eating fruits and vegetables) that bothers me though. This ad is promoting and normalizing the lax-permissive parenting style that is becoming more and more prevalent in the United States. It teaches parents to make their kids happy, while avoiding teaching them valuable life lessons like, "Hey, broccoli is good for you!"We can't afford to bend over backwards for children all of the time, because the real world doesn't bend over backwards for anyone. When these hypothetical pampered PediaSure children enter America's workforce, they won't know how to deal with criticism from their bosses because they have always gotten to do things their way. They won't follow directions particularly well because they've always been the boss.

This advertisement also shows parents what "success" looks like. This mom is "successful" by the end of the ad and even claims to have "peace of mind" thanks to using PediaSure to ensure that her child is well-nourished. But what has this parent really succeeded at? Preventing a temper tantrum? Does giving your child a nutritional beverage really make you a successful parent? Obviously not, but many parent viewers are victims of advertisements like this one, promising easy solutions to your parenting problems.

The real solution to this greater, media problem is absolutely education. Promoting media literacy, as we have discussed in class, is incredibly important for children, teens, and parents alike. As consumers of media, we are responsible for understanding the risks involved when we are exposed to commercials like this one. Americans need to learn how to take these advertisements with a whole lot of salt because unless more restrictive laws are passed, advertisers will only learn how to become more and more convincing with their audience analysts and psychologists helping them along the way. It is hard to say what the future of advertising holds, but for now, the easiest solution may be to hit the mute button as soon as those pesky commercials start running.