Television Advertisements - Research Paper Example

Television advertisements Affiliations Television advertisements The research question: How can the television advertisements be tailored to eliminate the adverse effects they pose to children? There is a general concern for parents and other stakeholders on the effects the television advertisements have on the children. The modern society has indicated an ever growing need for information where families and individuals rely on information in engaging in their daily activities. Most families have acquired television sets and lack a structured approach meant to regulate the content their children are constantly viewing with limited or no parental control. Numerous research evidence has illustrated that cognitive development mediates the understanding the children place in the television advertisements and the responses they conform to due to these ads (Brand, 2007). Children have been observed to produce negative behavior associated with the various TV advertisements. Some of the prevalent behavior in the modern society include the increased rate of obesity, the increased smoking behavior among children, and increased violence (Asadollahi & Tanha, 2011). The question is relevant as it does not seek to identify some of the adverse effects of advertisements on the children as previous studies have focused on this area and identified some overwhelming evidence. The paper realizes the prevalence of such behavior and in that acts as a measure to find a solution to the previously answered problem. The research question seeks to address the issue on a producer’s and a television company perspective. It aims to ensure that the involved stakeholders understand their social responsibility in protecting the children by developing relevant measures to combat the adverse effects on the children. The question relates to the significant problem of the various impacts of TV advertisements on children but adopts a different approach from the previous studies. If I were to find an answer to the question, the information would be useful in developing a sustainable solution to one of the problems facing TV companies and most families globally. The various stakeholders will identify some relevant measures that would ensure efficient compliance for all advertisements. The concern will not be a regulation by the prevailing regulative bodies, but an undertaking by advertisement houses and television companies meant to limit the effects of these ads on the children. The answer would work towards improving the overall health of the American population since there will be reduced cases of obesity and smoking among the children. Obesity and smoking are some of the primary causes of heart-related diseases and lung cancer in the United States and other areas in the world. Eliminating the negative influence of TV ads on the children will create a direct effect on the reduction in the prevalence rate of the associated diseases such as lung cancer and heart diseases (Gardner, 2011). The outcome can be included in the commercial television industry code of practice that will ensure the children are not influenced negatively by the ads and that parents are assured of their children’s safety. The research question will adopt an authoritative context as it assumes the categorization of a behavioral and social science study inclined to the television advertisements and their effects on children. The research will embrace context and complexity as one crucial aspect to ensure that there is a limit to the feasibility of randomization. The mode of inquiry also relies on the standards of ethical and scientific practice when computing conclusions and weighing the evidence. The study will assume an essential interpretive element that requires both the well-developed qualitative sensibility and a honed quantitative measurement skill (AAMC, 2011). The research will focus on previous studies related to the problem and understanding the limitations of the various television advertisement programs and the factors that lead to the negative effects on children. The research will, therefore, engage in a positivistic inquiry paradigm based on observation and reason as a measure of understanding children behavior due to the influence of television advertisements. The mode of inquiry is guided by the theory of social constructionism. The theory recognizes that there is an objective reality that is concerned with how knowledge is developed and understood. The approach will give the researcher an opportunity to identify the underlying problem and what contributes to the negative influence of the children as a measure to develop the best solution. The theory examines the various developments of jointly constructed understandings of the situation affecting the society (Tavakol & Zeinaloo, 2004). The problem can be investigated using the mixed research approach. The method employs the use of both qualitative and quantitative research. The method is appropriate since it expands the scope of the research and offsets the weaknesses and limitations of any single approach (Driscoll, Yeboah, Salib, & Rupert, 2007). The method of data collection will be a concurrent mixed method that involves the use of a web-based instrument that collects both the unstructured and structured data. The set of structured questions will be followed by an open question with an unlimited comment field linked to the topic under consideration. The sampling method will be the random sampling method where the sample will present a view that can relate to all the relevant stakeholders. The participants will include the various advertisement houses, the television companies, the parents, and the children. However, all participants will have to issue their consent, and the parents of the respective children have to agree to the conditions of the study. The children will be grouped into various sets and a simplified research experiment conducted. The research will seek to employ a substantial sample for each category of participants to ensure that the outcome reflects the views that can be generalized to portray what the society is going through. References AAMC (2011). Behavioral and social science foundations for future physicians. Association of American Medical Colleges. Retrieved from https://www.aamc.org/download/271020/data/behavioralandsocialsciencefoundationsforfuturephysicians.pdf Asadollahi, A. & Tanha, N. (2011). The Role of Television Advertising and Its Effects on Children. Interdisciplinary Journal of Research in Business, 1(9): 1-6. Brand, J. E. (2007). Television Advertising to children. Australian Communications and Media Authority. Retrieved from http://www.acma.gov.au/webwr/_assets/main/lib310132/tv_advertising_to_children.pdf Driscoll, D., Yeboah, A. Salib, P. & Rupert, D. (2007). Merging Qualitative and Quantitative Data in Mixed Methods Research: How To and Why Not. Ecological and Environmental Anthropology, 3(1): 19-28. Gardner, A. (2011). TV watching raises the risk of health problems, dying young. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/06/14/tv.watching.unhealthy/ Tavakol, M. & Zeinaloo, A. (2004). Medical Research Paradigms: Positivistic Inquiry Paradigm versus Naturalistic Inquiry Paradigm. Journal of Medical Education, 5(2): 75-79. Read More