I remember being in elementary school, when my primary entertainment was networks like Disney Channel and PBS Kids. I remember the ad breaks that seemed to interrupt my show every five minutes and there was nothing I dreaded more than the outro to a Disney Channel show before the ads. But now I see its value as a clear division between advertisements and entertainment. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has written guidelines for children’s programs and the advertisements shown on networks to minimize the confusion and possible exploitation of children as consumers.

For programs created for children twelve and under, weekdays are limited to twelve minutes of ads per hour of content. There must also be a clear understanding that some actions that the products are shown to be able to achieve (e.g. a non-automated toy plane flying by itself) are not actually taking place in real life and that there has been some sort of manipulation. Basically, in compliance with both laws from Congress and regulations from the FCC, ads on programs meant for children are more restricted, simply because of how easy it is to exploit young people without the mental faculties that only come with age.

However, we are in a new era of entertainment. Cable subscribers are decreasing every year, while streaming services are increasing in popularity. Social media is the new forefront of advertising, and if a company isn’t using a platform like TikTok, there is no telling exactly what kind of profits they might be missing out on. Over 20% of America has a TikTok account, not to mention the literal billion other users on the app globally. But the massive scope of social media makes it incredibly difficult to regulate. While most social media apps are technically only for thirteen-year-olds and older (one year older than what the FCC’s network ad guidelines regulate), it is still nearly impossible to enforce those rules.

There are two main types of ads that one would see the most on the popular short-form video platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels. One type is content that is posted by a company’s actual social media account, with all ties to the company relatively obvious while paying slight attention. The second, the sponsored post, is a little bit trickier to sniff out. In a sponsored post, a company will pay an influencer with a sizeable audience (followers + engagement + relation to the good/service) to review the product. This content is obviously always positive, regardless of any flaws that might become recognizable for customers. There are a few rules for sponsored content, including the #ad in the caption being the simplest. Also, the sponsored post cannot claim anything about the product that is not deliverable and falls under false advertising. Consequences for companies not following these guidelines include fines and lawsuits, plus damage to reputation.

But it is also important to note that in algorithm-based platforms like social media, it can be difficult to track and limit how many of either kind of ad a user is exposed to per hour. Of course, this is annoying for the young adult to adult populations, but it is dangerous to young teens and tweens. The consequences of pushing and glamorizing overconsumption can be felt from the environment to the psyche of kids, especially girls. Companies specifically advertise more to women, possibly because they are seen as making more purchasing decisions than men. Forbes has reported that women push 70-80% of consumer purchasing decisions. A study by Catalyst finds that women are responsible for $31.8 trillion of global spending. Women are a huge market, and businesses know that, so they have begun to target younger groups. Research has shown that children under 8 cannot understand the purpose of ads. And again, while technically children under 13 cannot download or create accounts for social media, a 2022 report in the UK found that 50% of UK children (aged 3-17) have TikTok, and 89% have YouTube.

See also the recent trend of “10-year-olds at Sephora” videos spread across the internet. In the videos, mainly adult creators will make fun of the little girls who have become obsessed with makeup/skin care way too young and have also become very demanding and rude in beauty stores. Many Sephora locations are even packing away their sample products to save money after the wasteful habits of children. While I do not condone their behavior, there is something to pity about little girls feeling like they need a five-step skin care routine and being made fun of on the same platforms who sold them the idea.

In short, the entertainment landscape is almost impossible to regulate at the same pace it is changing. There is no way to tell how this will impact the current generation of children yet, but it presents a concerning pattern for the future. It truly reveals the unnerving power social media has over our society.