Another Product of Their Environment

Does television advertising contribute to underage drinking? One study says yes. An online article details information about a study that links TV ads to an increased chance that minors will drink. The study determined that if there were commercials that included alcohol, those who drank were more likely to remember the commercials and identify with them in some way. Researchers also believe that if young adults aged 15 to 20 are succumbed to pictures of alcohol through advertising, they are more likely to binge drink than those who have not been exposed to such commercials. The study helps make the case about how television advertising really does have an impact on its viewers, therefore the advertising industry should have stricter rules about where they can place their ads. Those who conducted the study believe that television is contributing to the underage drinking problem. If youngsters see people drinking in movies, then they are more likely to indulge themselves. They are also more likely to consume if their parents drink around them at least once a week. The basis of the study shows that the more teens are around alcohol, then the more likely they are to experiment with it. They may wonder what the lure is to the substance and want to try it themselves. If they have friends who drink, teens are also more likely too as well. It seems that this study also backs the concept that if people in general are exposed to something in their environment on a regular basis, then the tendency for them to partake is higher than if they were not around it at all.