Ads are an unavoidable part of the online experience, and they are designed to influence us.
They are placed everywhere on social media, games, and websites. Sometimes they can be hidden or hard to recognize as ads. They can influence our choices and opinions, what we like, and what products we need - even without us noticing it happening.
Kids especially can be sensitive to the messages of commercials, having a hard time noticing how they are being influenced and why. Helping kids to be aware of how often and in what situations they are exposed to advertisements can be the first step in being critical of their message and influence.
We can encourage our kids to develop critical thinking and reflect on the advertisements they come across. This will help them to not blindly follow the pull of the commercials as well as learn to recognize when there is a hidden advertisement trying to influence them.
Here’s a breakdown of where and how these ads often show up:
In-Feed ads
Where:
Social media feeds on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
What they look like:
Ads that blend in with regular posts from friends or accounts you follow. They often look like regular social media posts of regular people, experts, or even scientists sharing their excitement about a product, a course, or a company.
Example:
As we scroll through our Instagram feed, we might see a post for a new clothing brand that looks like any other post, even though it’s an ad. Sometimes these ads also appear in between Stories.
Sponsored content from influencers
Where:
Influencers’ profiles on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
What they look like:
Posts, videos, or Stories where influencers promote products. Usually, it’s done very discreetly as they find a way to include the product or company in their post in a way that might not be noticeable. It can also be very obvious when they share their excitement and recommendation of a product.
Example:
You might see a favorite TikTok influencer demo a makeup product. They’re paid to promote it and might not have known this brand before. But it’s presented as part of their usual content as a video of them using their favorite make-up brand for a make-up tutorial.
Video ads (pre-roll and mid-roll)
Where:
Video and music streaming platforms like YouTube and Spotify.
What they look like:
Ads played before, during, or in the middle of videos or music tracks. We are not able to access the content we want to hear or watch until we have watched the ad.
Example:
Before a YouTube video starts, a short ad might play. On Spotify, we might hear an ad before the next song if we’re using the free version. It can be videos of influencers or small companies promoting products or regular advertisements as we know them from TV.
Ads in games
Where:
Free mobile games.
What they look like:
Banner ads, pop-ups, or videos you need to watch to continue playing. Ads for other games will often show as a preview version of the game. Banners can mimic the look of buttons in the game you are playing and clicking them will take you to the webshop of the ad.
Example:
After completing a level in a mobile game, a 15-second ad for another game might play. Sometimes, watching ads can earn you in-game rewards, like extra lives or coins.
Pop-up ads and sponsored search results
Where:
Websites, apps, and search engines.
What they look like:
Ads that cover content until you close them, or paid ads at the top of search results.
Example:
When you search for “running shoes” on Google, the first few results might be labeled “Ad” or “sponsored” — companies pay to have their products show up first. Or, when you visit a website, a pop-up ad may appear before you can access the main content. Sometimes ads blend in with an article or website making it easy to mistake it for the original content and click it by mistake.
These examples show how ads blend into online experiences in ways that make them feel like part of the usual content. It’s helpful to recognize these so we can choose if we want to engage or avoid them. Helping our kids be aware of when they are watching commercials will also help them know what is genuine content without a hidden agenda and when they are being influenced to buy a product.
