Affects of Advertisements On the Young Minds ( Aged 2-5 years)
    Photo by Patricia Prudente on Unsplash

Hello, dear moms how are you all doing? It’s been a long time since we met. Hope all of you are enjoying this wonderful journey “Motherhood” so am I.
Today I am going to write a few of the points that I have come across while upbringing my daughter. As mentioned earlier today I am going to write about how advertisements might affect the young minds and their results. So, let’s dive into today’s topic without further ado.

What are advertisements?
When we hear the word ‘advertisement’ we can immediately understand that it advertises or discusses about the benefits of a certain product. But, the claims it makes can be often true or at times misleading. As, an adult we have that discretion power to choose between what is really necessary for us and what is just a fancy. But, moms do you think your child has that power of judgement.
Now-a-days, with the rise of social media and Youtube everything has become accesible to every one even to our toddlers and kids. Also, it is seen that these advertisements with their colorful content bait the young minds thereby pressuring the guardians to buy things with are of no aesthetic or nutritional value.

Let’s us discuss the harmful effects of these advertisements briefly-

Restlessness- Often it is seen that because these advertisements are so colourful and appealing once the kids see that they become very restless and constantly keeps demanding it to the parents. Therefore, a point comes where the parents actually tends to buy it even though it is not very important for the child.

Aggressive- Also, these advertisements tend to make the kids very aggressive. If their demand is not fulfilled the child tends to get aggressive at times creating a great impact on their psychological and mental health.

Loss of trust- As these kids are very young they can hardly understand the complexities of these world. When they demand a thing and we parents do not fulfill it they find it very difficult to undestand the reason behind it. Therefore, this might lead to a a kind of distrust from them. They might feel we do not love or care for them.

Bonding- We need to be very cautious that because of these media influx our bonding with the child is not tainted and we do not lose on their trust. This might lead to the child creating a distance between us and them.

Tips and tricks to avoid all the above mentioned problems-

Filter and watch- Try to keep a watch on whatever content the child is binging on. We moms can actually guide them to watch more interesting and child related content which is usually available for free on Youtube. We need to have a check on everything the child sees.

Outdoor activities- Moms please try to invest the child’s energy in outdoor activities rather than indoor. Take them out let them run, jump and have a great time. Let them have a chat with the neighbours. This will reduce their screen time and help the child with various social and physical qualities.

Small talk- If the child is very stubborn and demands something try to explain him as to why are you refusing it very calmly. Do not scream or hurl abuses at the child. Do not make him feel that he/she is not on their best behaviour rather try to convince the child why you think it is not required for him at the moment. Shouting and hiting never helps. Also, there is a chance that the child might imitate it in the future.

Time- Most of all try to spend time with your child. Try to engage him/her in some fun activities, Let them go to some extra co-curricular classes if needed. Swimming, karate can be great options. Let them bond with people, see the real world and most importantly learn values.

That’s it moms. With this I come to an end with my article. Hope it will be helpful. Always, remember technology has become an indispensable part of our life and we need to live with it so does our kids. But, always be confined as to how much you are going to let it intrude your as well as your child’s life.

About the author-
Jusmi Saikia, mother to an one year old daughter is a teacher by profession in one of the reputed schools in Bangalore,India. She shares an immense love for writing as well as reading. She loves to write and share her ideas with the world around.