Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Shutterstock/kwanchai.c

Irish children are being deliberately targeted on Facebook by "junk food companies"

The Irish Heart Foundation will launch its Who’s Feeding The Kids Online study into the marketing habits of top global brands later on this morning.

FOOD AND DRINK companies are specifically targeting young teenagers on social media in order to market unhealthy products that have a link with childhood obesity, a new report has found.

The Irish Heart Foundation will launch its Who’s Feeding The Kids Online study into the marketing habits of top global brands later on this morning.

The report highlights sophisticated techniques used to target children online and build brand awareness through effective social media marketing.

It is due to be submitted to Communications minister Denis Naughten later this week and its findings are already being examined by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The report is led by child psychologist and researcher Dr Mimi Tatlow-Golden and outlines the techniques used by companies in targeting teenagers.

Companies use hi-tech analytics to target children directly and can monitor those who are more reactive to food and drink marketing and target them directly, the report states.

Tatlow-Golden said that companies are able to use the “3 Es” to maximise the effectiveness of their ads – engagement, emotional and entertainment-based tactics.

“We know that marketing of products high in fat, sugar or salt plays a causal role in obesity,” said Tatlow-Golden.

“In that light the Government has no option but to regulate digital marketing of junk food.

The alternative is to allow children’s long-term health to be put at severe and continuing risk.

Facebook campaigns

Campaigns by big food and drink brands like Coca Cola, Tayto, McDonald’s and Supermac’s (for example) on Facebook and other social media networks encourage people to “like” and “share” advertising material among their friends.

The report states:

Whereas anyone can inspect ads that are shown on TV, the targeted nature of digital marketing means that parents and policymakers are unaware of who is feeding our kids online.

A survey as part of the study found that three quarters of parents were unhappy with the marketing of unhealthy products to their children.

The study also notes that while television and radio broadcast advertisements were easy to notice and monitor, targeted social media ads were by their nature much more difficult to track.

Head of advocacy with the Irish Heart Foundation, Chris Macey, said that social media platforms could “take action immediately” to stop the marketing of unhealthy food to children if they wished.

“The very nature of targeted online marketing means that social media companies could instantly change their advert settings to stop this advertising to under-18s,” he said.

The report recommends that broadcasting regulations designed to protect children should be extended to all media and that any loopholes in existing regulations should be closed immediately.

The report will be launched at the Lighthouse Cinema in Dublin later this morning.

Read: ‘Ireland in the throes of an obesity epidemic’ as schools provide junk food to teenagers

Read: ‘He was fit as a fiddle’ – At 27, Richie Doyle dropped dead on a football pitch

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
17 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Martin Sinnott
    Favourite Martin Sinnott
    Report
    Jun 15th 2016, 6:29 AM

    Coke cola sponsor the Dublin bike scheme! Euro16 is supported by Mcdonalds! I could go on, go on, go on, go………..

    77
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Drew TheChinaman :)
    Favourite Drew TheChinaman :)
    Report
    Jun 15th 2016, 7:17 AM

    Actually Coke Zero sponsor it…

    Though no doubt holly housewife will be along shortly with a bunch of made up claims and conspiracy theories with no scientific basis or evidence saying that’s worse, causing cancers and neurological diseases *rolls eyes*

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
    Favourite Neal Ireland Hello
    Report
    Jun 15th 2016, 9:29 AM

    Cole Zero is a variety of Coca Cola.

    22
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kathleen Kavanagh
    Favourite Kathleen Kavanagh
    Report
    Jun 15th 2016, 6:33 AM

    Processed food is “Dead” food and it is slowly shortening the lives of the young people.

    42
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael Kavanagh
    Favourite Michael Kavanagh
    Report
    Jun 15th 2016, 7:42 AM

    The kids might be ‘brainwashed’ but who is actually buying them the stuff !?!

    31
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute James Onedin
    Favourite James Onedin
    Report
    Jun 15th 2016, 7:00 AM

    Du-uh…..faecesbook exists solely to market stuff or harvest data which can be used for marketing…….anyway, children should be active not sitting looking at the sort of shite they see on social media.

    28
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Drew TheChinaman :)
    Favourite Drew TheChinaman :)
    Report
    Jun 15th 2016, 7:24 AM

    Parents should educate their children that advertising is designed to make products that aren’t necessarily good for you appealing. Ultimately these children have no income of their own so it’s mommy and daddy that are lazily filling up a cart with junk food every week.

    People are just seeking to shift the blame for their over weight, poor diet and physically inactive children to someone else. Like fat people like to think everyone and everything else is responsible for their obesity.

    22
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Campbell
    Favourite John Campbell
    Report
    Jun 15th 2016, 6:38 AM

    When a ‘vested’ interest is sponsoring a food related item ignore it!!! Common sense in our eating habits doesn’t require the encouragement of those who seek to profit from what we eat!!!!

    20
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Anton Friendo
    Favourite Anton Friendo
    Report
    Jun 15th 2016, 8:10 AM

    Facebook has also been accused of suppressing links and stories from outlets that didnt fit their agenda.

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Damocles
    Favourite Damocles
    Report
    Jun 15th 2016, 8:26 AM

    Irish children or all children?

    It seems doubtful that Facebook and other big brands are interested specifically in Irish children.

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jho Harris
    Favourite Jho Harris
    Report
    Jun 15th 2016, 8:19 AM

    If this government had any moral fibre (which it doesn’t) it would act overnight just as there predecessors did when attempting to take pensions off people in nursing homes or the fiasco with the bus lanes. Anyone who likes or especially share a commercial Fb page without actually liking it is playing into their hands and kids are too young to know this.

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Eddie Nugent
    Favourite Eddie Nugent
    Report
    Jun 15th 2016, 3:05 PM

    Then we are sure to have an Irish solution a resounding BAN on something – but never a proactive policy

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael Sands
    Favourite Michael Sands
    Report
    Jun 16th 2016, 1:37 PM

    Companies advertising on facebook can track your movements going to their shops now using your mobiles, scary stuff…

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds