Like its parent cable television network, the Nickelodeon Website features advertising aimed at children.
As you explore this site, pay particular attention to the banner ads that appear. What kinds of companies are behind these ads? Is it always apparent from the content of these banners what is actually being sold (or even that they are ads at all)? Explain your answer. How are these interactive ads different from television commercials in terms of their potential effect on children?
Advocates for freedom in advertising might argue that since the Nickelodeon TV network is a pay service and parents must choose to have it shown in their homes, parents are also responsible for controlling their children’s exposure to the advertising shown on this network. Can you apply this same logic to Nickelodeon’s public access Website? Discuss the ethical issues surrounding these youth-oriented marketing strategies.