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Marketing to Youth in the Digital Age: The Promotion of Unhealthy Products and Health Promoting Behaviours on Social Media

Author

Listed:
  • Sally Dunlop

    (Division of Cancer Screening and Prevention, Cancer Institute New South Wales, Australia, and School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Australia)

  • Becky Freeman

    (School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Australia, and Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Australia)

  • Sandra C. Jones

    (Centre for Health and Social Research, Australian Catholic University, Australia)

Abstract

The near-ubiquitous use of social media among adolescents and young adults creates opportunities for both corporate brands and health promotion agencies to target and engage with young audiences in unprecedented ways. Traditional media is known to have both a positive and negative influence on youth health behaviours, but the impact of social media is less well understood. This paper first summarises current evidence around adolescents’ exposure to the promotion and marketing of unhealthy products such as energy dense and nutrient poor food and beverages, alcohol, and tobacco on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. We explore emerging evidence about the extent of exposure to marketing of these harmful products through social media platforms and potential impacts of exposure on adolescent health. Secondly, we present examples of health-promoting social media campaigns aimed at youth, with the purpose of describing innovative campaigns and highlighting lessons learned for creating effective social media interventions. Finally, we suggest implications for policy and practice, and identify knowledge gaps and opportunities for future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Sally Dunlop & Becky Freeman & Sandra C. Jones, 2016. "Marketing to Youth in the Digital Age: The Promotion of Unhealthy Products and Health Promoting Behaviours on Social Media," Media and Communication, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(3), pages 35-49.
    • Handle: RePEc:cog:meanco:v:4:y:2016:i:3:p:35-49
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Smith, K.C. & Cukier, S. & Jernigan, D.H., 2014. "Regulating alcohol advertising: Content analysis of the adequacy of federal and self-regulation of magazine advertisements, 2008-2010," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 104(10), pages 1901-1911.
    2. Freeman, B. & Kelly, B. & Baur, L. & Chapman, K. & Chapman, S. & Gill, T. & King, L., 2014. "Digital junk: Food and beverage marketing on facebook," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 104(12), pages 56-64.
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    Cited by:

    1. Daniel Romer, 2016. "Introduction to the Issue “Adolescents in the Digital Age: Effects on Health and Development”," Media and Communication, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(3), pages 1-3.
    2. Daniel Romer & Michael Rich, 2016. "Afterword to the Issue “Adolescents in the Digital Age: Effects on Health and Development”," Media and Communication, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(3), pages 90-94.
    3. Christoph F. Wiedenroth & Verena Otter, 2022. "Can new healthy luxury food products accelerate short food supply chain formation via social media marketing in high-income countries?," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 10(1), pages 1-30, December.
    4. Boris Chapoton & Véronique Régnier Denois & Mabrouk Nekaa & Franck Chauvin & Valentin Flaudias, 2020. "Social Networking Sites and Perceived Content Influence: An Exploratory Analysis from Focus Groups with French Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-27, September.
    5. Corazza, Ilaria & Pennucci, Francesca & De Rosis, Sabina, 2021. "Promoting healthy eating habits among youth according to their preferences: Indications from a discrete choice experiment in Tuscany," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(7), pages 947-955.
    6. Kaline Pessoa & Cícero Luciano Alves Costa & Ana Cláudia Coelho & Ana Bastos & Isilda Rodrigues, 2023. "Use of Instagram as a Resource for the Adoption of Behaviors Related to Health and Well-Being of Young College Students: Associations between Use Profile and Sociodemographic Variables—A Cross-Section," Societies, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-18, February.
    7. Pippa McKelvie-Sebileau & David Rees & David Tipene-Leach & Erica D’Souza & Boyd Swinburn & Sarah Gerritsen, 2022. "Community Co-Design of Regional Actions for Children’s Nutritional Health Combining Indigenous Knowledge and Systems Thinking," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-14, April.
    8. Gaironeesa Hendricks & Natalie Savona & Anaely Aguiar & Olufunke Alaba & Sharmilah Booley & Sonia Malczyk & Emmanuel Nwosu & Cecile Knai & Harry Rutter & Knut-Inge Klepp & Janetta Harbron, 2022. "Adolescents’ Perspectives on the Drivers of Obesity Using a Group Model Building Approach: A South African Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-15, February.
    9. Anna Elizabeth Coates & Charlotte Alice Hardman & Jason Christian Grovenor Halford & Paul Christiansen & Emma Jane Boyland, 2020. "“It’s Just Addictive People That Make Addictive Videos” : Children’s Understanding of and Attitudes towards Influencer Marketing of Food and Beverages by YouTube Video Bloggers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-18, January.
    10. Mulenga Mary Mukanu & Anne Marie Thow & Peter Delobelle & Zandile June-Rose Mchiza, 2022. "School Food Environment in Urban Zambia: A Qualitative Analysis of Drivers of Adolescent Food Choices and Their Policy Implications," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-18, June.
    11. Saura, José Ramón & Palacios-Marqués, Daniel & Iturricha-Fernández, Agustín, 2021. "Ethical design in social media: Assessing the main performance measurements of user online behavior modification," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 271-281.

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