Did You Know: Online Games Can Influence What Kids Eat

A study finds the relationship between online games which advertises food or with the pattern of children’s eat. The games induce children to buy the product which is displayed when the children are playing the games.

The study led by Jennifer Harris, director of Marketing Initiatives at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University found that many children are accessing website providing advergame (game which advertises a product) which is provided by food companies, leading the children to buy their product.

The researchers, accompanied by companies who voluntarily pledged to tailor advertising toward healthier foods for kids under the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI), found that about 1.2 million kids like to access advergame-providing websites, chlidren access 88% more times on these sites than on other sites which does not include advergame.

Then, harris and his companion made an experiment on the impact of these advergame towards children aged around seven to 12 by six games; two featuring junk food; two featuring healthy food, and two have no food advertisement, and the result is that:
1. They eat in equal amount of food but with different pattern
2. Children playing healthy food advergame eat 50% more healthy food than those who play unhealthy food advergame.
3. Children playing unhealthy food advergame eat 56% more unhealthy food than those who play the healthy one, and 16% more than those in the control group.

the study implies that advertising game gives influence towards children. Thus, everyone responsible for the children must be aware of this.