Alcohol Dependence free essay sample

An alcoholic is a man or a woman who suffers from alcoholism they have a distinct physical desire to consume alcohol beyond their capacity to control it, regardless of all rules of common sense. According to Alcoholics Anonymous UK, who say they have no unique definition for alcoholism, it may be described as a physical compulsion, together with a mental obsession. Apart from having an enormous craving for alcohol, an alcoholic often yields to that craving at the worst possible times. The alcoholic knows neither when nor how to stop drinking. Definition an alcoholic is a person, while alcoholism is the illness. An alcoholic suffers from alcoholism. Alcoholism is a long-term (chronic) disease. Alcoholics are obsessed with alcohol and cannot control how much they consume, even if it is causing serious problems at home, work, and financially. Alcohol abuse generally refers to people who do not display the characteristics of alcoholism, but still have a problem with it they are not as dependent on alcohol as an alcoholic is; they have not yet completely lost their control over its consumption. We will write a custom essay sample on Alcohol Dependence or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Moderate alcohol consumption will not generally cause any psychological or physical harm. However, for some individuals, social drinking eventually leads to heavier and heavier alcohol consumption, which does cause serious health and psychological problems. Alcoholism in the UK one in every 13 people in the United Kingdom is an alcoholic, according to the NHS (National Health Service) statistics. Even among people who are not dependent on alcohol, a sizeable proportion drink too much. In the USA, 15% of Americans are problem drinkers, while between 5% to 10% of male and 3% to 5% of female drinkers could be diagnosed as alcohol dependent, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The World Health Organization (WHO) says there are at least 140 million alcoholics in the world; unfortunately, the majority of them are not treated. A US study estimated that about 30% of Americans report having an alcohol disorder at some time in their lives. Alcohol consumption more severely affects women than men, according to a coordinated study carried out by researchers at RTI International, Pavlov Medical University, Leningrad Regional Center of Addictions, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. A Canadian study found that alcohol is a factor in 1 in 25 deaths worldwide. The British Medical Association says that alcohol kills six people in Scotland every day. The lifetime risk of alcohol-use disorders for men is more than 20%, with a risk of about 15% for alcohol abuse and 10% for alcohol dependence, according to researchers from the University of California, San Diego, USA. Alcohol consumption, when in moderation can have some positive effects on health. Moderate red wine drinking has several health benefits. Researchers at the University of Illinois found that injured patients with alcohol in their blood have a smaller chance of dying in hospital. The researchers said that their findings should not encourage people to drink. What are the symptoms of alcoholism? The signs of alcoholism and alcohol abuse are very similar, and are often just a question of degree or intensity. Typically, the last person to be aware that he/she has a serious drinking problem is the alcoholic himself/herself they are in denial. Some signs and symptoms of alcoholism as well as alcohol abuse include: Drinking alone. Drinking in secret. Not being able to limit how much alcohol is consumed. Blacking out not being able to remember chunks of time. Having rituals and being irritated/annoyed when these rituals are disturbed or commented on. This could be drinks before/during/after meals, or after work. Dropping hobbies and activities the person used to enjoy; losing interest in them. Feeling an urge to drink. Feeling irritable when drinking times approach. This feeling is more intense if the alcohol is not available, or there appears to be a chance it may not be available. Having stashes of alcohol in unlikely places. Gulping drinks down in order to get drunk and then feel good. Having relationship problems (triggered by drinking). Having problems with the law (caused by drinking). Having work problems (caused by drinking, or drinking as root cause). Having money problems (caused by drinking). Requiring a larger quantity of alcohol to feel its effect. Nausea, sweating, or even shaking when not drinking. A person who abuses alcohol may have many of these signs and symptoms but they do not have the withdrawal symptoms like an alcoholic does, nor the same degree of compulsion to drink. The problems linked to alcohol dependence are extensive, and affect the person physically, psychologically and socially. Drinking becomes a compulsion for a person with a drink problem it takes precedence over all other activities. It can remain undetected for several years. drunk man lying on the table with whiskey glass What is binge drinking? In the UK, binge drinking occurs when a man consumes more than eight units of alcohol and a woman consumes over six units in one sitting. Drinking large amounts of alcohol now-and-again is worse for the heath than frequently drinking small quantities. Binge drinking has become a growing problem in many countries, especially in the UK where 40% of emergency hospital admittances are alcohol-related. Sipping wine, beer or spirits three to four times per week increases the risk of binge drinking, particularly among young men, according to a study carried out by researchers from the Universite de Montreal and the University of Western Ontario. Men who drink 22 or more units of alcohol a week have a 20% higher rate of admissions into acute care hospitals than non-drinkers, researchers from the University of Glasgow found. Binge drinking among college students and heart disease researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that healthy young adults who regularly binge drink may have a higher risk of heart disease later in life. Senior author, Shane A. Phillips and team found that college binge drinkers show damage to blood vessels similar to that caused by high cholesterol and hypertension, both factors linked to heart disease. Phillips said Regular binge drinking is one of the most serious public health problems confronting our college campuses, and drinking on college campuses has become more pervasive and destructive. Binge drinking is neurotoxic and our data support that there may be serious cardiovascular consequences in young adults. What causes alcoholism (alcohol dependence)? Alcohol dependence is a gradual process which can take from a few years to several decades to become a problem with some very vulnerable people addiction can come in a question of months. Eventually, over time, regular alcohol consumption can disrupt the balance of the brain chemical GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), which controls impulsiveness, as well as glutamate, which stimulates the nervous system. Brain levels of dopamine are raised when we consume alcohol dopamine levels may make the drinking experience more gratifying. Over the long- or medium-term, excessive drinking can significantly alter the levels of these brain chemicals, making the persons body crave alcohol in order to feel good and avoid feeling bad. These risk factors may also be linked to excessive drinking: Genes scientists say there are specific genetic factors which may make some people more likely to become addicted to alcohol, as well as other substances. People who have a family history of addiction are at higher risk for abusing alcohol. Alcoholics are six times more likely than nonalcoholic to have blood relatives who are alcohol dependent. Researchers from the Universidad de Granada, Spain, revealed that the lack of endorphin is hereditary, and thus that there is a genetic predisposition to become addicted to alcohol. The age of first alcoholic drink a study found that people who started drinking alcohol before the age of 15 were much more likely to have an alcohol problem later in life. Underage drinking in the USA is common 26. 6% of Americans under the legal age for alcohol consumption are drinking, a new report issued by SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services) informed in a new report. The authors explained that although some progress had been made in the short term to reduce underage drinking, especially among children aged up to 17 years, underage drinking rates are still excessively high in the USA. Of the 12-20 year olds who said they had drunk alcohol during the previous four weeks, 8. 7% had bought it themselves. Pamela S. Hyde, an AMHSA Administrator, said: Underage drinking should not be a normal part of growing up. Its a serious and persistent public health problem that puts our young people and our communities in danger. Even though drinking is often glamorized, the truth is that underage drinking can lead to poor academic performance, sexual assault, injury, and even death. Smoking, especially non-daily smokers A study by Yale University researchers found that non-daily smokers are five times more likely to have a problem with alcohol compared to people who have never smoked. Easy access Experts say there is a correlation between easy access to alcohol (cheap prices) and alcohol abuse and alcohol-related deaths. A US study found a strong link between alcohol tax increases in 1983 and 2002 and a significant drop in deaths related to alcohol use in one American state the effect was found to be nearly two to four times that of other prevention strategies such as school programs or media campaigns. Stress some stress hormones are linked to alcoholism. If our levels of stress, anxiety are high some of us may consume alcohol in an attempt to blank out the upheaval. Military service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are likely to experience posttraumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorders simultaneously, according to researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Peer drinking people who have friends who drink regularly or abuse alcohol are more likely to drink excessively and eventually have an alcohol problem. Low self-esteem experts say that people with low self-esteem who have alcohol readily available are more likely to abuse it. Depression people with depression may deliberately or unwittingly use alcohol as a means of self-treatment. On the other hand, a statistical modeling study suggested that alcohol abuse may lead to depression risk, rather than vice versa. Media and advertising in some countries alcohol is portrayed as a glamorous, worldly and cool activity. Many experts believe that alcohol advertising and media coverage of it may convey the message that excessive drinking is acceptable. The Royal College of Physicians is asking for a European Union ban on alcohol advertising to protect children. How the body processes (metabolizes) alcohol people who need comparatively more alcohol to achieve an effect have a higher risk of eventually having an alcohol problem, a study carried out by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, found. Ads by Google Liver Damage Symptoms If You Have These 3 Symptoms You May Have Liver Damage. See Now. hearthappy. com 90% Lower Alcohol Craving New Way To Help Drinking Problems. Verified 90% Success Rate! declinol. com Heart Attack Signs? Know the 4 Bodily Signs. Take The Simple Heart Test Now www. simplehearttest. com How is alcoholism diagnosed? In the USA a person must meet the criteria laid out in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), published by the APA (American Psychiatric Association). This includes a pattern of alcohol abuse which leads to considerable impairment or distress. The patient should experience at least three of the criteria below during the past 12 months: Alcohol tolerance the patient needs a large quantity of alcohol to feel intoxicated. However, when the liver is damaged and cannot metabolize the alcohol so well, this tolerance may drop. Damage to the central nervous system may also reduce tolerance levels. Withdrawal symptoms when the patient abstains from alcohol or cuts down he/she experiences tremors, insomnia, nausea or anxiety. Typically, the patient drinks more to avoid these symptoms. Beyond intentions the patient ends up drinking more alcohol, or drinks for a longer period than he/she intended. Unsuccessfully attempting to cut down the patient is continuously trying to cut down alcohol consumption, but does not succeed. Or the patient has a persistent desire to cut down. Time consuming the patient spends a lot of time obtaining, using or recovering from alcohol consumption. Withdrawal the patient withdraws from recreational, social, or occupational activities. This did not used to be the case. Persistence the patient carries on consuming alcohol even though he/she knows it is harming him/her physically and psychologically. Some signs and symptoms of alcohol abuse may be due to another condition, or simple aging, such as memory problems, or falling. Some patients may go to their doctor about a medical condition, such as a digestive problem, and not mention their alcohol abuse. It is not always easy for a doctor to identify candidates for alcohol dependency screening. If a doctor suspects alcohol may be a problem, he/she may ask a series of questions if the patient answers in a certain way the doctor may go on to use a standardized questionnaire. A single question can identify unhealthy alcohol use in patients, a study revealed. Blood tests can only reveal very recent alcohol consumption. They cannot tell whether a person has been drinking heavily for a long time. If a blood test reveals that the red blood cells have increased in size it could be an indication of long-term alcohol abuse. Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) this is a test which helps detect heavy alcohol consumption. It is a blood test. There are other tests which can indicate whether the liver has been damaged, or whether a man has reduced testosterone levels however, screening with a good questionnaire is seen as the most effective means for an accurate diagnosis. Most alcoholics deny they have a problem and tend to minimize the extent of their drinking. Talking to family members may help the doctor in his/her diagnosis (permission will be needed for this). Complications of alcoholism and alcohol abuse Usually, drinking alcohol initially elevates the persons mood. However, after a long period of regular heavy drinking the persons nervous system will become depressed and the drinker will become sedated by alcohol. Alcohol may undermine a persons judgment; it can lower inhibitions and alter the drinkers thoughts, emotions and general behavior. Heavy regular drinking can have a serious effect on a persons ability to coordinate his/her muscles and speak properly. Heavy binge drinking could cause the patient to go into coma. Eventually, regular heavy drinking may cause at least one of the following problems: Fatigue the patient is tired most of the time. Memory loss especially the patients short-term memory. Eye muscles the eye muscles can become significantly weaker. Liver diseases the patient has a considerably higher chance of developing hepatitis, and cirrhosis. Cirrhosis of the liver is an irreversible and progressive condition. Gastrointestinal complications the patient can develop gastritis, or pancreas damage. These problems also seriously undermine the bodys ability to digest food, absorb certain vitamins, and produce hormones which regulate metabolism. Hypertension regular heavy drinking invariably raises the persons blood pressure. Heart problems regular heaving drinking can lead to cardiomyopathy (damaged heart muscle), heart failure, and stroke. Diabetes alcoholics have a very high risk of developing diabetes type 2. Patients who have diabetes will invariably have serious complications if they are regular heavy drinkers of alcohol. Alcohol prevents the release of glucose from the liver, causing hypoglycemia. A person with diabetes is already taking insulin to lower his/her blood sugar levels hypoglycemia could be devastating. Menstruation alcoholism will usually stop menstruation or disrupt it. Erectile dysfunction alcoholic men are much more likely to have problems getting an erection, or sustaining one. Fetal alcohol syndrome women who abuse alcohol during their pregnancy are much more likely to have babies with birth defects, including a small head, heart problems, shortened eyelids, as well as developmental and cognitive problems. Thinning bones alcoholics invariably suffer from thinning of the bones because alcohol interferes with the production of new bone. This means an increased risk of fractures. Nervous system problems alcoholism often causes numbness in the extremities, dementia and confused/disordered thinking. Cancer alcoholics have a much higher risk of developing several cancers, including cancer of the mouth, esophagus, liver, colon, rectum, breast, prostate and pharynx. An international study found that the key causes of bowel cancer are alcohol and smoking. In fact, even moderate alcohol consumption is linked to a higher incidence of cancer among women, a study found. Another study found that consuming just two or more drinks per day could increase a persons risk of pancreatic cancer by about 22%. Accidents alcoholics are vulnerable to injuries from falls, car crashes, being run over, etc. The NIH says that over half of all American traffic deaths are alcohol-related. Domestic abuse alcohol is a major factor in spouse beating, child abuse, and conflicts with neighbors. Work (school) problems employment problems, unemployment, school problems, are often alcohol-related. Suicide suicide rates among people who are alcohol-dependent or who abuse alcohol are much higher than among other people. Mental illness alcohol abuse can cause mental illness and make existing mental illnesses worse. Problems with the law the percentage of alcoholics who end up in court or in prison is significantly higher compared to the rest of the population. reaching for the whiskey glass Treatment for alcohol dependencySome medical inpatients with unhealthy alcohol use may benefit from a brief intervention, say researchers from Boston University School of Medicine. The first step for the alcoholic is to acknowledge that there is an alcohol dependency problem. The next step is to get help. In most of the world there are several support groups and professional services available. A study found that people with a stable psychosocial life situation often delay in seeking help for their alcohol problems even though they are serious. In another study, published in March 2012, scientists from Norway re-analyzed data from old trials that tested LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) for the treatment of alcoholism and concluded that a single dose of the psychedelic drug was effective in decreasing alcohol misuse. Researchers from the Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, informed in Frontiers in Pharmacology in October 2012 that veterans who smoke have a higher risk of alcohol abuse relapse than non-smokers. They added that smoking while trying to give up drinking impairs memory, learning and other cognitive skills, which undermine successful sobriety. The following are recognised treatment options for alcoholism: Do-it-yourself experts say about 30% of people with an alcohol problem manage to reduce their drinking or abstain without seeking professional help. There is a great deal of material in books and the internet that may help the self-helper. Counseling a qualified counselor can help the alcoholic talk through his/her problems and then devise a plan to tackle the drinking. CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) is commonly used to treat alcohol dependency. Treating underlying problems the alcoholic may have a problem with self-esteem, stress, anxiety, depression, or some other mental health problem. It is important to treat these problems too. It is crucial for the alcoholic to realize that drinking will probably make mental health problems worse. As alcoholics commonly suffer from hypertension, liver diseases, and possibly heart diseases, these will need to be treated too. Residential programs residential programs are ideal for some people. They include expert professional help, individual or group therapy, support groups, training, family involvement, activity therapy, and a host of strategies that are aimed at treating the alcoholic successfully. Some people find that being physically away from access to temptation is a great help. Drug that provokes a severe reaction to alcohol Antabuse (disulfiram) causes a severe reaction when somebody drinks alcohol, including nausea, flushing, vomiting and headaches. It is a deterrent. It will not treat the alcoholics compulsion and will not cure alcoholism. Drugs for cravings Naltrexone (ReVia) may help with the urge to have a drink. Acamprosate (Campral) may help with cravings. Hormone ghrelin Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg, have discovered a new brain mechanism involved in alcohol addiction involving the stomach hormone ghrelin. When ghrelins actions in the brain are blocked, alcohols effects on the reward system are reduced. It is an important discovery that could lead to new therapies for addictions such as alcohol dependence. Detoxification the patient takes some medication to prevent withdrawal symptoms (delirium tremens) which many alcoholics experience when they give up drinking. Treatment usually lasts from four to seven days. Chlordiazepoxide, a benzodiazepine medication, is frequently used for detoxification (detox). Doses will be initially high, and will then taper off. It is important that the patient abstains completely from alcohol during the detox. Staying on the wagon (remaining abstinent) some patients find the detox acheivable, but start drinking again soon after, or some time later. It is important to remember Samuel Johnsons phrase If at first you dont succeed. Try, try, and try again. Success rates are significantly improved if the patient has access to counseling or some support group. Family support is crucial. Sometimes a good GP can provide vital support. A study found that genetics is a factor in predicting the risk of relapse among alcohol-dependent patients. Further Reading: What is Alcohol Poisoning? What are the Dangers of Alcohol Poisoning? Written by Christian Nordqvist Copyright: Medical News Today

How to Avoid DV Green Card Lottery Scams

How to Avoid DV Green Card Lottery Scams Millions of people enter the United States diversity visa program (better known as the green card lottery) each year hoping to be selected for one of the 50,000 immigrant visas. The lottery is free to enter, but there are many businesses who offer services to assist people with their applications. While many of these businesses are legitimate, some exist only to scam innocent people out of their money. The U.S. State Department warns applicants to be on the lookout for these frauds and scam artists. Following are 5 tips to help you avoid being scammed. There Is No Fee to Download, Complete and Submit the Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form If a website or business wants to charge you a fee for entering the green card lottery, the money does not go to the U.S. government; this is a fee for the companys services. There are legitimate companies that provide fee-based services to help immigrant-hopefuls register in the lottery, however, these businesses have to follow the exact same procedures as you do to submit your registration. You should carefully consider whether you really need to pay someone to put through an application on your behalf that would cost you nothing to submit. No One Can Claim to Have a Special Procedure or Form to Increase Your Chances of Winning There are really only two ways you can increase your chances of winning: Submit an application that is complete, error-free and meets the eligibility requirements to avoid having your entry disqualified.If both you and your spouse are eligible for the lottery, you can apply separately. If one of you wins, the other spouse can enter the country on the winning spouses visa. Watch for Websites Posing as U.S. Government Websites The website name may look like a government site with a similar-sounding name as a government agency, with flags and official-looking seals decorating the site and links to legitimate government addresses, but be careful the website could be an impostor. If the domain name doesnt end in .gov then it is not a government website. There is only one way to submit your diversity visa lottery entry, and thats through the U.S. State Department at www.dvlottery.state.gov. Some embassy websites do not have .gov as their domain, but you can link to the official U.S. embassies, consulates, and diplomatic missions websites. Green Card Lottery Winners Will Receive a Letter in the Mail The letter will contain  further instructions on how to complete the immigration process. Winners DO NOT receive notification by e-mail. If you are chosen as a lottery winner, an official letter from the U.S. Department of State Kentucky Consular Center in Williamsburg, Kentucky will be sent to the mailing address you provided in your application. You can check the status of your entry online at the E-DV website to confirm whether or not you are a winner. The online status check opens several months after the lottery registration period ends. If You Have Been Selected to Apply for a Diversity Visa, a Fee Will Be Required This application filing fee is  payable to the Department of State and  does not go to the person or business who submitted your lottery entry (if you paid someone for this service). No one is authorized by the Department of State to notify diversity visa lottery applicants of their winning entry, the next steps in the processing of applying for their visa or collect fees on behalf of the Department of State. Current fees for visa services are available on the Department of State website. Source U.S. State Department

Perform a Limited Risk Managment Study Coursework - 1

Perform a Limited Risk Managment Study - Coursework Example Privacy invasion: Using P2P networks or applications may give unauthorized users access to personal data either, by accessing personal directories or users give private information to whom they believe to be a trusted source or organization. When Medical or financial information, sensitive individual or corporate data is compromised, users are vulnerable to identity theft (Bidgoli, 2004). Vulnerability: Several P2P networks and applications ask users to open certain ports on the computers firewall to share files. Opening this ports provide attackers with channels to attack the user’s computer by utilizing any susceptibilities that may exist in the P2P connection. Service Denial: Downloading media files raise the capacity of traffic across the network. This may restrain the user’s internet access or inhibit the availability of certain applications in the user’s computer. The best ways to avoid these risks is by refraining from P2P networks and applications, but if a user insists on using them, they should have a proper and up to date antivirus program and they should have installed and enabled a firewall on their

Role of the Man in the Family Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Role of the Man in the Family - Research Paper Example A man is an extremely crucial member of the family, and his roles are exceptionally crucial for smooth functioning and success of the family. Different families and cultures assign different roles to men, but there are universal men’s roles that are widely accepted in all cultures and families. Men’s roles range for love, protection, decision-making, family support, provision, fatherhood, husband, teaching and family security, (Bronstein and Carolyn 344). Men as the family heads preside over crucial family matters and issues that affect the well-being of the family. He is responsible for making key decisions in the family, for instance, decisions concerning the family property such as land acquisition, disposal, allocation between family members (children) and family development. Men are wage earners and providers of the needs and requirements of the family. A man should ensure sufficient supply of family basic needs and other means of supporting the unit economically and financially. He should contribute to physical, psychological, emotional support and mental support of the unit. In a bid to achieve this, he should reorganize his available resources to cater for his family needs, (Brody 234). A man as a protector means that he should ensure both physical and emotional security of his family. It implies safeguarding his self-esteem and worth and the self-worth and esteem of his family members. It may also imply safeguarding his ways of livelihood and protecting his family against any external and internal threat, for instance, threat to family property, value, reputation and family members. A man as leaders should lead and direct all the programs and projects of the family. For instance, instead of sitting back and watch his spouse takes initiative in case of a challenge he should take the lead. He should participate in the game and establish what he desires in his family rather than whining about his

Discuss how the entry of foreign banks may prove growth-enhancing in a Essay

Discuss how the entry of foreign banks may prove growth-enhancing in a developing country - Essay Example This essay discusses the concept of globalization that gained increasing acceptance among countries across the world. It encourages nations and their authorities to consider themselves as a part of the international community. It urges countries to increase their contacts with the outside world and engage in various economic exchanges in the global market. Accordingly, nations have undertaken various measures to accomplish this goal. The concept of globalization has also pervaded the international financial sector. An increasing number of international banks have expressed the desire of expanding their business activities across the globe. Their preferred target of location has been the economies of the developing countries. Most of the developing nations used to operate as closed economies and were served only by the domestic indigenous banks. The operations of these domestic banks were restrictive in their scale and could cater to the financial requirements of a limited section of the population. Thus, the international banks found these economies as ideal locations for establishing their business activities. Foreign bank entry in a specific country is defined as the procedure by which international banks establish their operations in an economy. This is primarily accomplished by introducing a new branch or by setting up a subsidiary bank in the host nation. Tschoegi has observed that the current trend of globalization has also been observed in the international banking sector. ... According to the World Bank Report (200), over 50 per cent of the banking sector assets of these nations are owned by international banks. The foreign banking institutions have also expanded their business activities in the developing countries of Asia, Africa, the Middle East region and the Soviet Union. However, the rate of expansion of the banks’ operations has been comparatively slower in the second group of nations. Economists have been tempted to question why the foreign banks have found the developing economies to be suitable locations for expanding their business. Analysts have also evaluated the effects of the foreign bank entries on the developing nations. This paper has attempted to examine the microeconomic impact of the entry of international banks as reflected upon the developing nations. (Clarke, 2001, p.1-5) The Transition Efforts of Developing Countries Ever since the industrial revolution in Europe in the 1780s, countries across the world have experienced dif ferent degrees of industrialization and hence economic development. The rate of economic development of a nation depended on how effectively it adapted its existing economy to the new machine methods of industrial production. Countries which rapidly integrated these new technologies into their prevailing production processes witnessed a high rate of economic growth. Contrarily, nations which were slow to adapt to the innovative production technology experienced a much lower rate of economic progress. In this way, the rate of economic development has varied between the different countries of the world. Economists have classified the countries into three main categories based on their present level of economic development: the developed countries (DCs), the developing countries

Challenges of Marketing to Children

Challenges of Marketing to Children Creating outstanding products and programs to win marketplace is not an easy job. Specialists in marketing have to develop comprehensive research plans, carry out market researches, analyze the data collected and finally come up with marketing plans that target specific consumer segments. Finding out about human psychology, their preferences, choices and appeals are not only difficult but at times disappointingly inaccurate. Yet marketers today consider themselves experts in such endeavours, and are capable of achieving the almost impossible marketing objectives.   As if these aspects of marketing are not difficult enough, in modern-day marketing field there is a niche in which the marketers have to deal with children. The most difficult task is perhaps the determination of the choices and preferences of these fickle individuals who are still developing, absorbing the environment and learning to become like their adult counterparts. The task of marketing to children is not only daunting but also critical for many businesses such as Nike, Microsoft, Johnson Johnson, Disney, Pepsi, Sega, Kellogs and Mattel to name a few. These companies go through extensive research and consultancy to get to the untapped market of child consumers. One such example is evident in Dan S. Acuff and Robert H. Reiher’s (1998) Youth Market Systems.  According to the authors the development of outstanding products and programs to win childrens marketplace is entirely different from the rest of the market segments. For this purpose they invent a marketing process called Youth Market Systems. The System ensures marketers consider all aspects of marketing to children or teens for any category of goods or services that companies want to sell. There Isa great need for a system of analysis and interpretation as the authors feel that information pertaining to cognitive, emotional and social needs of age groups could transform the programs or product features that target them. Acuff and Reihers (1998) strategy merely opens a window to the world of advertising to children. As one investigates the categories of products and services that are available to young children, one also tend to develop the consistent belief that children are a separate kind of consumer group and must be treated differently, from advertising to the designing of products. All these efforts no doubt are valid and justified in their own place and position, however a niggling thought crosses the mind when one observes the various approaches and efforts that marketers adopt to reach out to the vulnerable youth consumer segment. There are reasons for these tactics. Acuff and Reiher record approximately $1 billion annual gross revenue for Mattel Incorporated that sells Barbies. There are others such as Garfield, He-Man, Cabbage Patch Kids, Power Rangers, LEGO, GI Joes and a myriad of upcoming products invading the market with the sole purpose to tap on these young consumers who are bound by childish emotions and penchant for toys and games. Schemes and strategies are being devised to win over these young consumers for highs takes amounting to billions of pounds. What is more, advertising and marketing to children does not only involve the youngsters but their parents also. For example the Youth Market System identifies parents, grand parents and other close family members as the most influential on children’s purchasing decision. Exploring this group is critical because they are the ones who have control over the wallet and it is on them that children are dependent. The complexity in children marketing therefore lies in attracting both the youngsters and appealing to the parents. A winning formula must be developed to attract both the parents and children. The complexity of this formula makes success rate low which induces marketers to resort to all kinds of schemes and strategies to achieve their desired target, including crossing the line of ethics especially in the field of advertising of children related products (Acuff and Reiher 1998). Scholars and parents alike feel that there are no avenues that advertisers and businesses will not exploit to reach to the young consumers. Exploitations through mental, moral and physical developments of children are common. The strategies to target children involve creation of wants to satisfy the impulse rather than actual needs. For example consoles such as Mattels Hot Wheels, and Barbie’s fashion collections are not really required by children but wants created by advertisers and marketing campaigns. Long term needs satisfaction has been replaced by short term needs. They are not the only ones exploited. Their parents are also plagued with different kinds of created needs for their children such as the well being; status symbol; and their selfish need to have their child preoccupied with the multitude of products and free them from child responsibilities. These aspects portray not only the ugly but also the unethicalsides of the world of advertising. How true are these aspects and towhat extent do advertisers reach to capture their target consumers? Dothey cross the borders of ethics or not to maximise gains from avulnerable consumer market? And what, if anything, should be done tocontrol and ultimately restrict the freedom of advertising aimed atchildren are some of the areas that the following research willendeavour to enumerate. Children have become the key target for many advertisers. Childrenare vulnerable, easy to exploit consumers and they perceive things asadvertisers want them to perceive, or so many of us believe. Despitethe fact that children are nowadays smart and knowledgeable of themarketplace nevertheless for many marketers they are relatively easy totarget due to the sheer size of the childrens consumer market.Advertisers thrive by earning billions of pounds with the backing andfunding of the profit seeking organizations that hire them. Thesecompanies are not only producing goods that appeal to the children butthey are also exploiting their parents. The dual targeting approachmakes this market segment attractive as well as representative of highyield for investment. For example in many regions of the worldincluding the US, Europe and Japan, companies are investing billions sothat they can capture and tap the youth market segment but at the sametime they are also reaping billions in return. Adver tisers andmarketers are entrusted with the task to achieve sales targets bygenerating desired actions from the segment. The wide appeal hasmotivated many professionals to enter and adopt whatever means andmeasures to achieve their targets. Ethical implications surpasses but afew in the field of advertising that target children. For these reasonsthe authority, lobbyists and parents are demonstrating their concernsregarding the impact of media and advertising on children. Thefollowing literature review will first outline why and how children aretargeted, followed by a review of the kind of ethical implicationsadvertising and the media has on children. This will be followed by anexploration of the measures that are being taken to counteract theproblem, if any. Advertising to children has not been an issue until recently withthe boom of the media. More and more parents are concerned about thelegal controls that the authority levy on advertising criteria as mostare concerned about the kind of tactics advertisers are using toinfluence children for the sake of maximizing their profits. Forexample Bejot and Doittau (2004) note that pornography, cigarette andtobacco related, alcohol and other products prohibited for children arebeing promoted on television freely without restriction. Advertisementmessages for these adult related products are tailored for adultconsumption but due to the appeal of mass viewership and the higherprofits, the advertisements are aired during children televisionprimetime. As a result the advertisements expose children to contentsthat are not meant for them. Had that been the only case then the issueof advertisement would not have been so controversial. Research suggest that children between the ages of 6 and 14 years oldwatch about 25 hours of television per week in the US and they areexposed to 20,000 commercials in a   year (Moore and Lutz 2000).Children at this age are vulnerable because they are developing a senseto comprehend and evaluate messages in the environment. Stimulatedmessages on television not only have a harmful impact but they are alsodetrimental in persuading children to develop wants for products thatare not meant for them. According to Moore and Lutz (2000) Beyondadvertisements, children gain marketplace information from the productsthey encounter, advice from friends and relatives, and their ownconsumption experiences. Through consumption, children learn whatproducts are good and bad, whether advertising claims are truthful,what brands they prefer, and even products that convey social meaningsapart from their functional properties. For children the experiencesthat heighten their importance in their social cir cle and the adultworld have the most meaning. They do not have the ability to counteractor check on the viability or the authenticity of the message initiallywhen they are young as they are dependent on adults for explanatoryinformation accessible only through print media. By the time childrengrow to the teenage level the functionality of literacy diminishes tobe replaced by their desire and need to fit in their social life.Without consideration for product usefulness or content, childrendevelop wants for products beyond their pockets and reach. Similarly, children are also exposed to advertisements for fashionproducts that are actually designed for adult consumers but they areoften condensed to tailor to the younger audience with the purpose toinclude the young consumers in the marketing campaigns. For this reasonchildren develop receptivity for fashion products without the requiredinformation for decision making.   Moore and Lutz (2000) recognize theimportance of childrens advertising and its impact on young audienceby revealing that children are receptive to advertising demonstrated inexperiments of relation between ads and products. They write: Research investigating childrens receptivity to televisionadvertising has studied what children understand, under whatcircumstances they are persuaded, and how their responses evolve asthey mature (e.g. Macklin 1987; Roedder 1981). Drawing extensively oninformation processing and stage models, researchers have gainedsubstantial insight into the development of childrens cognitive skillsand their deployment during ad processing. (Moore and Lutz 2000). Their research indicates that children are at a stage where they aredeveloping cognitive abilities. Advertisers vie on this susceptibledevelopmental stage by targeting the limited processors of childrenthat have not yet acquired efficient information processing strategies,a fact that may be reflected in their inability to distinguish betweencentral and peripheral content in message learning. (Moore and Lutz2000). They further this idea by writing that at the stage of ages 8and 12 children are susceptible to information that are stimulated andthat target the vulnerability of the strategic processors.   Because atthis age group children tend to spontaneously employ efficientinformation storage and retrieval strategies. They organize andretrieve information based on available information and stimulus. Unless their knowledge of advertising is expressly activated by such acue, these children tend not to think critically or generatecounterarguments spontaneously. They may also neglect to differentiatebetween central and peripheral content when learning new information.When there is an appropriate cue in their environment, however, theyare likely to retrieve and use relevant information. (Moore and Lutz2000). Therefore children may develop recognition mechanism on how advertisingshould be viewed but that is dependent on external factors likeparental guide, government policies or other mediating channels.Evidence suggests that there is substantial amount of influence on thisage group when they are not guided in the preliminary stages inunderstanding the intent of advertisements. Research reveals thatsignificant guidelines must be levied before children rationale anddeliberate on the content of advertisements shown on television.Advertising is thus implicitly accorded substantial power to shapechildrens thinking until they acquire sufficient cognitive andattitudinal defences. (Moore and Lutz 2000). Other than the cognitive development impressions on children,advertising also influence them to take actions. In a study by Smithand Swinyard (1982) on consumer behaviour and response towards producttrials offer through advertisements suggests that because consumersknow that advertisers wish to present their brands in a favourablelight, they react to ads by partially discounting claims and formingtentatively held brand beliefs and attitudes. In contrast whenconsumers have direct usage experience, they form stronger, moreconfidently held brand beliefs and attitudes. This phenomenon has beenobserved in a number of studies with adults and may be consistent withthe case of children. The same expectations is held with regard tochildren advertising as researchers are of the opinion that with age,the capacity to form brand opinions tend to be more among olderchildren. For example children of age groups 10 and 12, and 12 and 14year olds tend to tell the truth and more likely to be scepticalt owards the institution of advertising rather than blindly acceptadvertisement claims. According to Michel Bejot and Barbara Doittau (2004) childrenadvertising are dynamic and highly appealing. The authors are of theopinion that children are the key target for advertisers because brandpreferences in this age group remain unchanged for a long time.Children remain loyal to the brands they are used to yet at the sametime they have growing pockets to afford more expensive items as theygrow older. The above aspects indicate that children though are smart andknowledgeable to sceptically evaluate and experiment with productsthrough advertisement claims they are also aware of the fact that theseadvertisers claim may not be true. At this point it is arguable tonote that some school of thoughts separate the vulnerable youngstersfrom the smart young consumers who have the cognitive ability tocritically examine the advertisement claims and disregard them if notproven true. According to Robertson and Rossiter (1974) if ads presentinformation different from a childs actual experien ce, confusion mayresult and trust in advertising may be determined. Conversely, otherssuggest that until children actually experience discrepancies betweenproducts as advertised and as consumed, they are unable to fullycomprehend advertisings persuasive intent. For this reason Moore andLutz (2000) claim that advertising use frames for product trials knownas transformational advertising in which adult consumers are drawntowards the products prior to advertising exposures by asking them toparticipate in the process of experimenting and interacting with theproduct with the view to interpret, evaluate and subsequently formtheir experience impressions. The expectancy or discrepancy frame setsare formed for comparison of later product trials which help indetermining discrepancies or consistencies of product qualities. Mooreand Lutz (2000) present the testing paradigm to show that rationalconsumers are clever in testing advertising claims of productperformances. Testing paradigm enable the m the opportunity to evaluateand form opinions. Children, on the other hand do not have the samereaction or taste for distinguishing discrepancy in the same manner. On the other hand Siegler (1996) believes that advertising and producttrials have different effects on childrens capacity to integratemultiple sources of information for consideration. Young children tendto engage in one-dimensional thinking pattern and rely on multipledimensions for a given task. Integration is imperative for childrenbecause they are dependent on this integration processing ofinformation for forming perceptual domains and consumer behaviour. Whenyounger children are presented with information it is encoded andstored in the recesses of the mind, and whenever needed retrieve it forevaluation. Information integration is basically combining newinformation presented in the media with the old information, andcomparing the two. Disparate media information result in discrepancy inexperience. This in turn results in loss of trust in advertisementmessages. Not all children however are wise enough to discriminate information.Moore and Lutz (2000) believe that age differences differentiateexpectations and credibility of advertising. They write Youngerchildren have been found to hold more positive attitudes aboutadvertising, to be more likely to believe its claims, and to be lesslikely to understand its essential purpose. Thus, among youngerchildren advertisings credibility is not likely to arise as a concern,and they are likely to perceive both advertising and a product trialexperience as believable sources of information. (Moore and Lutz2000). Clearly, this statement identifies with the fact that youngerchildren are more susceptible to advertising and they are prone to takeactions without critical evaluation. For older children advertisers maynot integrate strong expectations about a brand and instead focus onthe stronger results to generate confidence in product usage (Fazio1986). Alternatively there are groups of advertisers who vie on the physicalhabits of children. For example one of the most invidious techniques isto use junk food in advertising for children. The use of celebrities toendorse these foods without any consideration for balanced diet orfitness is common in the industry. In the UK the BBC which is fundedby licence and tax payers, received around 32 million pounds in 2001for franchising its Tweenies characters to McDonalds the FoodCommission found that the Tweenies products were high in junkelements. Despite this fact the UK government continues to allowbrands such as Cadburys to market its products and launch campaignsthat have negative effects on the physical health of children. Theseefforts are designed to generate more profits and not the publicinterest. They are aware of the fact that the lack of exercise coupledwith high calorie food result in obesity and other related diseases inchildren. The rate of obesity has doubled in the past 10 ye ars from 8.5percent to 15 percent among children under 16 years (The Lancet 2003).Yet advertisements continue to infiltrate the media and other channelswith the objective to vie on children. Children have long been recognized as the target market for manycompanies due to its economic potential. Recent estimates by Moore(2004) indicate that children and associated markets account for 24billion dollars of direct spending and it has an additional 500 billiondollars influence over family purchases. Children are considered to bepotential gold mines for campaigners and advertisers alike. Televisionchannels and the print media as well as companies are constantlyengaged in complex product placements, sales promotions, packagingdesign, public relations, and in-school marketing activities with theview to reach out to children and their parents. Given the timechildren spend in front of the television, on the Internet and mediagadgets, marketers realize that children form a huge consumer base fortoys, breakfast cereals, candy and snacks etc. For this purpose thereare more and more commercials on television to induce buying preferenceand action. TV commercials especially are being de veloped to inducechildren to purchase and participate in programs promoting cars,fashion, cell phones and other such adult related products. Accordingto Moore (2004) At the root of the childrens advertising debate isthe question of childrens unique vulnerabilities. Concerns about youngchildren range from their inability to resist specific selling effortsto a fear that without benefit of well-developed critical thinkingskills they may learn undesirable social values such as materialism†(Macklin, 1986 qt. Moore 2004). Her view is also affirmed by Acuff andReiher (1998) who indicate through their study that children aresusceptible to advertisements because of the extensive measures andstrategies adopted by the advertisers. Their study reveals thatmarketers devise winning formulas to gain the confidence of children bysending out messages that winning children are those who are associatedwith certain brands. These may be Barbie, He-Man, Teletubbies orSpider-Man. Identification and association are the keys to the winningformula. The success rate of the winning formula depends on how deep an impactthe product or brand has through the advertisements. These aredeveloped based on the knowledge of the development of the mind of thegrowing consumers. The product leverage mix is formed based onqualities that are demanded by children such as characteristics of ahero, power of a character and/or qualities of the product. The productleverage matrix is a comprehensive model formed for analyzing the needsand wants of the young consumers and a guide to allow marketers to havea look at the bigger picture. Once the matrix is determined the medium, concept, content, context,process, characters or personality, and attitude or style areestablished. Elements to be noted include: What is the psychologicalpoint of view of the target audience? What are the visual and verbalcontents that will be used for the product? How marketers will form thecontext of the advertisements for the target audience and the kind ofprocesses that will be involved to create an interface for interactionwith the potential consumers? Character association or the use ofpersonality to denote product quality is also common in the designingof the matrix etc. (Acuff and Reiher 1998). The marketers are also aware that young children are intelligentindividuals who exercise their developing cognitive abilities byassociating qualities with certain images. For example Bugs Bunny is aclever rabbit or Kellogg’s Pop Tarts are fruity flavoured etc. They areable to associate as well as distinguish between products andcharacteristics of the products. Identifying the points of differencefrom the children’s perspectives is critical but not impossible. Acuffand Reiher (1998) also note that these are assumptions that adults makeregarding the preferences of children such as teens wanting moreenergy; identifying with hero athletes; wanting great taste or newproduct names. Yet at the same time they also warn the marketers that: more often than not these assumptions are left unexamined as toveracity and strength. Its an important practice to check assumptions:check what the leverage actually is, and its relative power versus whathas been assumed. More often than not, adults make erroneousassumptions about what kids perceive to be important and powerfulbecause adults are looking at their product or program through adulteyes. It is critical to get at the actual leverage rather than theassumed leverage. With the above hypothetical Enerjuice example inmind, adults may be surprised when testing directly with kids focusgroups reveals that the new products blue colour is its most powerfulpoint of leverage and that the majority of kids tested dislike the newname. (Acuff and Reiher 1998). The basic premise in such a condition is that marketers need to ensurethey give promises and fulfil them too thereby gaining competitiveadvantage. This kind of positioning helps them to organize andcategorize products in the mind of the targeted consumers. In the endhowever, the marketers must realize that it is the bigger picture thatneeds to be satisfied that is product leverage matrix. At the centreof the matrix are the crucial elements that should not be neglectedsuch as gender, stage, age, structure, dimension, style and pastexperience. The consumers are at the end of this list and are the mostpowerful deciding factor that can make or break their products. Theyconclude that Successful products and programs are those that satisfytheir needs and wants in the short term (impulse) or in the long term.While a colourful and involving Trix cereal package with a maze on theback provides for short-term needs satisfaction, Mattels Hot Wheelscars year after year continue to provide young boys with something theyneed and want small, easily manipulability, colourful minicars thatare fun and involving to play cars with (Vroom! Vroom!) And toaccumulate and collect. (Acuff and Reiher 1998). Children advertising have attracted legal, scholars and parentalattention. Proponents of the children targeted marketing andadvertising argue that the financial backing that children programs aregetting derive from sponsors who make programs on television possible.Advertising to children are therefore motivated by profitability.Furthermore they also argue that these sponsors target a separate nichemarket of children of age group 12 and 14. Advertising provides themwith product information and does not really provide stimulus aschildren in this age group are more like adults with their specificideologies, attitudes and behaviours where preferences of products andservices are concerned. They have been exposed to persuasive messagesfor a long time and can distinguish persuasive messages from empoweringones. Thus they are product and advertising savvy. On the other hand opponents such as parents and consumer protectiongroups argue that advertising directed at children are not onlyunethical but they are also manipulative stimulants that promoteconsumerism in children from a very young age. Advertisements createwants and poor nutritional habits that induce children to pesterparents for products that are harmful for them (Berlger 1999). Theiropinions have been affirmed by Acuff and Reiher (1997) who suggest thatpreschool children at two and three years old tend to identify withfrequently seen images and therefore would be attracted towardsspokes-character in advertising and marketing. The desire to see thesecharacters and related products they see on television, packaging andpromotions induce demand for the same among children. According to DelVecchio (1998, p. 225), The objective is to select an effective pieceof advertising that will break through clutter, communicate the name ofthe brand, its key feature and benefit, and do so in a cool way thatwill elicit a childs request. Those advertisers are successful whosuccessfully use innovation, meticulous marketing, planning and massiveexposures in their key characters according to Schneider (1989). The ethical dilemma enters the scenario when one refers to the degreeand extent of the use of stimuli. Research indicates thatspokes-characters use role play and features that would relate animatedwith human characters and thereby influence childrens attitudes(Chebat et al 1992). The issues surrounding the use of advertisingcharacters to children stem from the fact that the characters arecommoditized without consideration for its impact on the children.Without regulations, advertisers tend to deviate from the conventionaluse of these characters. They treat children and adult related productsalike. That is perhaps the reason why Cross (2002) indicates that therehas been a rise in restrictions on tobacco advertising during the 1990sto curb tobacco companies from targeting children by the use ofspokes-characters in their advertising and marketing campaigns. In this context advertisements have a deep ethical impact on thecognitive and development of growing children and the authority needsto recognize this fact. According to Roedder (1981) children arevulnerable and fail to utilize cognitive plans for storing andretrieving information. The categorization of processing deficienciesstem from the childs inability to use the actual strategies and aidsfor storing information in the memory. Limited processing capabilitiesin young age group especially induce children to learn throughmemorization and are not capable of using tools for separating,segregating and processing information according to utility. Insteadthey use information incidentally. Television uses fast pace visualgraphics and audiovisual medium to influence preschoolers and aroundthat age group. The effects become consistent when children areregularly exposed to these audiovisual images so that they becomeimprinted on the minds of the young children (Alwitt et al 1980).Animation a nd other stimulus have double impact on the informationprocessors of children. As children become receptive to advertisementsor images that are regularly shown they come to recognize it in theirdaily experiences. Once the images are imprinted in the targeted group’s mind it is easyto generate brand recognition through triggering keys which may be inthe form of visual or audio effects. Spokes-characters such cartooncharacters have this essential effects on the children. Studies havefound that young children often discriminate between products on asimple heuristic of whether one particular quality (which may includebrand name or character) is present or not (Rust and Hyatt 1991 qt.Neeley and Schumann 2004). Another aspect of advertisements is that children tend to associatewith the characters and brand that they prefer. Instilling a brand inchildren’s minds is easy when spokes-characters are used to define thequalities of the products. For example in Bahns (1996) study four andfive year olds proved to be receptive to product characteristics byinferring spokes-characters. Bahn gives the example of cereal boxes.Boxes with cartoons are associated with sugary and sweet cereal meantfor kids while those that do not have cartoons are bland and notsweet, and are meant for adults. This logic for cereal preferences andchoices indicate that advertisements with their logos, characters andcartoons all have a great impact on the minds of young children in thisage group. While Bahns example seem harmless whereby advertisers are merely usingthe characteristics and qualities of products to appeal to the youngconsumers, Fischer et als (1991) example raises ethical dilemma. Intheir study the researchers asked children ages three to six toidentify logo brands with the appropriate product. They observe thatchildren tend to associate the Old Joe character with cigarettes. Thisassociation has been developed through the inference of the Cameladvertisements that uses Old Joe a cartoon character for brandpersonalization. Hence, the researchers conclude that regardless of theintentions of advertisers and marketers, the effects of advertising onchildren are inevitable. Yet there are arguments against this view by psychologists such asPiaget (1929). This group of individuals are of the view thatpreoperational children between ages two and seven do not reallyprocess information logically or abstractly. They rely on processingstrategies such as â€Å"transductive† to connect between thoughts andreasoning and therefore not susceptible to the underlying qualities.They may understand simple expressions of but have difficulty inassociating it with product differentiation. Consequently Neeley andSchumann (2004) write: While research findings show that young children can exhibit highlevels of character/product recognition, association, and affect, thechallenge arises when we assume that these early responses lead toproduct preference, intention, and choice. Recognition, association,and affect are manifestations of simpler cognitive processing abilitiesthan preference, intention, and choice, and research supports thenotion that these simple abilities would be present in children asyoung as two or three years old. More advanced cognitive abilities arerequired for the later behavioural stages of preference, intention, andchoice because these responses require a child to position one item(e.g., brand/product) relative to others, something that a child maynot be able to d Challenges of Marketing to Children Challenges of Marketing to Children Creating outstanding products and programs to win marketplace is not an easy job. Specialists in marketing have to develop comprehensive research plans, carry out market researches, analyze the data collected and finally come up with marketing plans that target specific consumer segments. Finding out about human psychology, their preferences, choices and appeals are not only difficult but at times disappointingly inaccurate. Yet marketers today consider themselves experts in such endeavours, and are capable of achieving the almost impossible marketing objectives.   As if these aspects of marketing are not difficult enough, in modern-day marketing field there is a niche in which the marketers have to deal with children. The most difficult task is perhaps the determination of the choices and preferences of these fickle individuals who are still developing, absorbing the environment and learning to become like their adult counterparts. The task of marketing to children is not only daunting but also critical for many businesses such as Nike, Microsoft, Johnson Johnson, Disney, Pepsi, Sega, Kellogs and Mattel to name a few. These companies go through extensive research and consultancy to get to the untapped market of child consumers. One such example is evident in Dan S. Acuff and Robert H. Reiher’s (1998) Youth Market Systems.  According to the authors the development of outstanding products and programs to win childrens marketplace is entirely different from the rest of the market segments. For this purpose they invent a marketing process called Youth Market Systems. The System ensures marketers consider all aspects of marketing to children or teens for any category of goods or services that companies want to sell. There Isa great need for a system of analysis and interpretation as the authors feel that information pertaining to cognitive, emotional and social needs of age groups could transform the programs or product features that target them. Acuff and Reihers (1998) strategy merely opens a window to the world of advertising to children. As one investigates the categories of products and services that are available to young children, one also tend to develop the consistent belief that children are a separate kind of consumer group and must be treated differently, from advertising to the designing of products. All these efforts no doubt are valid and justified in their own place and position, however a niggling thought crosses the mind when one observes the various approaches and efforts that marketers adopt to reach out to the vulnerable youth consumer segment. There are reasons for these tactics. Acuff and Reiher record approximately $1 billion annual gross revenue for Mattel Incorporated that sells Barbies. There are others such as Garfield, He-Man, Cabbage Patch Kids, Power Rangers, LEGO, GI Joes and a myriad of upcoming products invading the market with the sole purpose to tap on these young consumers who are bound by childish emotions and penchant for toys and games. Schemes and strategies are being devised to win over these young consumers for highs takes amounting to billions of pounds. What is more, advertising and marketing to children does not only involve the youngsters but their parents also. For example the Youth Market System identifies parents, grand parents and other close family members as the most influential on children’s purchasing decision. Exploring this group is critical because they are the ones who have control over the wallet and it is on them that children are dependent. The complexity in children marketing therefore lies in attracting both the youngsters and appealing to the parents. A winning formula must be developed to attract both the parents and children. The complexity of this formula makes success rate low which induces marketers to resort to all kinds of schemes and strategies to achieve their desired target, including crossing the line of ethics especially in the field of advertising of children related products (Acuff and Reiher 1998). Scholars and parents alike feel that there are no avenues that advertisers and businesses will not exploit to reach to the young consumers. Exploitations through mental, moral and physical developments of children are common. The strategies to target children involve creation of wants to satisfy the impulse rather than actual needs. For example consoles such as Mattels Hot Wheels, and Barbie’s fashion collections are not really required by children but wants created by advertisers and marketing campaigns. Long term needs satisfaction has been replaced by short term needs. They are not the only ones exploited. Their parents are also plagued with different kinds of created needs for their children such as the well being; status symbol; and their selfish need to have their child preoccupied with the multitude of products and free them from child responsibilities. These aspects portray not only the ugly but also the unethicalsides of the world of advertising. How true are these aspects and towhat extent do advertisers reach to capture their target consumers? Dothey cross the borders of ethics or not to maximise gains from avulnerable consumer market? And what, if anything, should be done tocontrol and ultimately restrict the freedom of advertising aimed atchildren are some of the areas that the following research willendeavour to enumerate. Children have become the key target for many advertisers. Childrenare vulnerable, easy to exploit consumers and they perceive things asadvertisers want them to perceive, or so many of us believe. Despitethe fact that children are nowadays smart and knowledgeable of themarketplace nevertheless for many marketers they are relatively easy totarget due to the sheer size of the childrens consumer market.Advertisers thrive by earning billions of pounds with the backing andfunding of the profit seeking organizations that hire them. Thesecompanies are not only producing goods that appeal to the children butthey are also exploiting their parents. The dual targeting approachmakes this market segment attractive as well as representative of highyield for investment. For example in many regions of the worldincluding the US, Europe and Japan, companies are investing billions sothat they can capture and tap the youth market segment but at the sametime they are also reaping billions in return. Adver tisers andmarketers are entrusted with the task to achieve sales targets bygenerating desired actions from the segment. The wide appeal hasmotivated many professionals to enter and adopt whatever means andmeasures to achieve their targets. Ethical implications surpasses but afew in the field of advertising that target children. For these reasonsthe authority, lobbyists and parents are demonstrating their concernsregarding the impact of media and advertising on children. Thefollowing literature review will first outline why and how children aretargeted, followed by a review of the kind of ethical implicationsadvertising and the media has on children. This will be followed by anexploration of the measures that are being taken to counteract theproblem, if any. Advertising to children has not been an issue until recently withthe boom of the media. More and more parents are concerned about thelegal controls that the authority levy on advertising criteria as mostare concerned about the kind of tactics advertisers are using toinfluence children for the sake of maximizing their profits. Forexample Bejot and Doittau (2004) note that pornography, cigarette andtobacco related, alcohol and other products prohibited for children arebeing promoted on television freely without restriction. Advertisementmessages for these adult related products are tailored for adultconsumption but due to the appeal of mass viewership and the higherprofits, the advertisements are aired during children televisionprimetime. As a result the advertisements expose children to contentsthat are not meant for them. Had that been the only case then the issueof advertisement would not have been so controversial. Research suggest that children between the ages of 6 and 14 years oldwatch about 25 hours of television per week in the US and they areexposed to 20,000 commercials in a   year (Moore and Lutz 2000).Children at this age are vulnerable because they are developing a senseto comprehend and evaluate messages in the environment. Stimulatedmessages on television not only have a harmful impact but they are alsodetrimental in persuading children to develop wants for products thatare not meant for them. According to Moore and Lutz (2000) Beyondadvertisements, children gain marketplace information from the productsthey encounter, advice from friends and relatives, and their ownconsumption experiences. Through consumption, children learn whatproducts are good and bad, whether advertising claims are truthful,what brands they prefer, and even products that convey social meaningsapart from their functional properties. For children the experiencesthat heighten their importance in their social cir cle and the adultworld have the most meaning. They do not have the ability to counteractor check on the viability or the authenticity of the message initiallywhen they are young as they are dependent on adults for explanatoryinformation accessible only through print media. By the time childrengrow to the teenage level the functionality of literacy diminishes tobe replaced by their desire and need to fit in their social life.Without consideration for product usefulness or content, childrendevelop wants for products beyond their pockets and reach. Similarly, children are also exposed to advertisements for fashionproducts that are actually designed for adult consumers but they areoften condensed to tailor to the younger audience with the purpose toinclude the young consumers in the marketing campaigns. For this reasonchildren develop receptivity for fashion products without the requiredinformation for decision making.   Moore and Lutz (2000) recognize theimportance of childrens advertising and its impact on young audienceby revealing that children are receptive to advertising demonstrated inexperiments of relation between ads and products. They write: Research investigating childrens receptivity to televisionadvertising has studied what children understand, under whatcircumstances they are persuaded, and how their responses evolve asthey mature (e.g. Macklin 1987; Roedder 1981). Drawing extensively oninformation processing and stage models, researchers have gainedsubstantial insight into the development of childrens cognitive skillsand their deployment during ad processing. (Moore and Lutz 2000). Their research indicates that children are at a stage where they aredeveloping cognitive abilities. Advertisers vie on this susceptibledevelopmental stage by targeting the limited processors of childrenthat have not yet acquired efficient information processing strategies,a fact that may be reflected in their inability to distinguish betweencentral and peripheral content in message learning. (Moore and Lutz2000). They further this idea by writing that at the stage of ages 8and 12 children are susceptible to information that are stimulated andthat target the vulnerability of the strategic processors.   Because atthis age group children tend to spontaneously employ efficientinformation storage and retrieval strategies. They organize andretrieve information based on available information and stimulus. Unless their knowledge of advertising is expressly activated by such acue, these children tend not to think critically or generatecounterarguments spontaneously. They may also neglect to differentiatebetween central and peripheral content when learning new information.When there is an appropriate cue in their environment, however, theyare likely to retrieve and use relevant information. (Moore and Lutz2000). Therefore children may develop recognition mechanism on how advertisingshould be viewed but that is dependent on external factors likeparental guide, government policies or other mediating channels.Evidence suggests that there is substantial amount of influence on thisage group when they are not guided in the preliminary stages inunderstanding the intent of advertisements. Research reveals thatsignificant guidelines must be levied before children rationale anddeliberate on the content of advertisements shown on television.Advertising is thus implicitly accorded substantial power to shapechildrens thinking until they acquire sufficient cognitive andattitudinal defences. (Moore and Lutz 2000). Other than the cognitive development impressions on children,advertising also influence them to take actions. In a study by Smithand Swinyard (1982) on consumer behaviour and response towards producttrials offer through advertisements suggests that because consumersknow that advertisers wish to present their brands in a favourablelight, they react to ads by partially discounting claims and formingtentatively held brand beliefs and attitudes. In contrast whenconsumers have direct usage experience, they form stronger, moreconfidently held brand beliefs and attitudes. This phenomenon has beenobserved in a number of studies with adults and may be consistent withthe case of children. The same expectations is held with regard tochildren advertising as researchers are of the opinion that with age,the capacity to form brand opinions tend to be more among olderchildren. For example children of age groups 10 and 12, and 12 and 14year olds tend to tell the truth and more likely to be scepticalt owards the institution of advertising rather than blindly acceptadvertisement claims. According to Michel Bejot and Barbara Doittau (2004) childrenadvertising are dynamic and highly appealing. The authors are of theopinion that children are the key target for advertisers because brandpreferences in this age group remain unchanged for a long time.Children remain loyal to the brands they are used to yet at the sametime they have growing pockets to afford more expensive items as theygrow older. The above aspects indicate that children though are smart andknowledgeable to sceptically evaluate and experiment with productsthrough advertisement claims they are also aware of the fact that theseadvertisers claim may not be true. At this point it is arguable tonote that some school of thoughts separate the vulnerable youngstersfrom the smart young consumers who have the cognitive ability tocritically examine the advertisement claims and disregard them if notproven true. According to Robertson and Rossiter (1974) if ads presentinformation different from a childs actual experien ce, confusion mayresult and trust in advertising may be determined. Conversely, otherssuggest that until children actually experience discrepancies betweenproducts as advertised and as consumed, they are unable to fullycomprehend advertisings persuasive intent. For this reason Moore andLutz (2000) claim that advertising use frames for product trials knownas transformational advertising in which adult consumers are drawntowards the products prior to advertising exposures by asking them toparticipate in the process of experimenting and interacting with theproduct with the view to interpret, evaluate and subsequently formtheir experience impressions. The expectancy or discrepancy frame setsare formed for comparison of later product trials which help indetermining discrepancies or consistencies of product qualities. Mooreand Lutz (2000) present the testing paradigm to show that rationalconsumers are clever in testing advertising claims of productperformances. Testing paradigm enable the m the opportunity to evaluateand form opinions. Children, on the other hand do not have the samereaction or taste for distinguishing discrepancy in the same manner. On the other hand Siegler (1996) believes that advertising and producttrials have different effects on childrens capacity to integratemultiple sources of information for consideration. Young children tendto engage in one-dimensional thinking pattern and rely on multipledimensions for a given task. Integration is imperative for childrenbecause they are dependent on this integration processing ofinformation for forming perceptual domains and consumer behaviour. Whenyounger children are presented with information it is encoded andstored in the recesses of the mind, and whenever needed retrieve it forevaluation. Information integration is basically combining newinformation presented in the media with the old information, andcomparing the two. Disparate media information result in discrepancy inexperience. This in turn results in loss of trust in advertisementmessages. Not all children however are wise enough to discriminate information.Moore and Lutz (2000) believe that age differences differentiateexpectations and credibility of advertising. They write Youngerchildren have been found to hold more positive attitudes aboutadvertising, to be more likely to believe its claims, and to be lesslikely to understand its essential purpose. Thus, among youngerchildren advertisings credibility is not likely to arise as a concern,and they are likely to perceive both advertising and a product trialexperience as believable sources of information. (Moore and Lutz2000). Clearly, this statement identifies with the fact that youngerchildren are more susceptible to advertising and they are prone to takeactions without critical evaluation. For older children advertisers maynot integrate strong expectations about a brand and instead focus onthe stronger results to generate confidence in product usage (Fazio1986). Alternatively there are groups of advertisers who vie on the physicalhabits of children. For example one of the most invidious techniques isto use junk food in advertising for children. The use of celebrities toendorse these foods without any consideration for balanced diet orfitness is common in the industry. In the UK the BBC which is fundedby licence and tax payers, received around 32 million pounds in 2001for franchising its Tweenies characters to McDonalds the FoodCommission found that the Tweenies products were high in junkelements. Despite this fact the UK government continues to allowbrands such as Cadburys to market its products and launch campaignsthat have negative effects on the physical health of children. Theseefforts are designed to generate more profits and not the publicinterest. They are aware of the fact that the lack of exercise coupledwith high calorie food result in obesity and other related diseases inchildren. The rate of obesity has doubled in the past 10 ye ars from 8.5percent to 15 percent among children under 16 years (The Lancet 2003).Yet advertisements continue to infiltrate the media and other channelswith the objective to vie on children. Children have long been recognized as the target market for manycompanies due to its economic potential. Recent estimates by Moore(2004) indicate that children and associated markets account for 24billion dollars of direct spending and it has an additional 500 billiondollars influence over family purchases. Children are considered to bepotential gold mines for campaigners and advertisers alike. Televisionchannels and the print media as well as companies are constantlyengaged in complex product placements, sales promotions, packagingdesign, public relations, and in-school marketing activities with theview to reach out to children and their parents. Given the timechildren spend in front of the television, on the Internet and mediagadgets, marketers realize that children form a huge consumer base fortoys, breakfast cereals, candy and snacks etc. For this purpose thereare more and more commercials on television to induce buying preferenceand action. TV commercials especially are being de veloped to inducechildren to purchase and participate in programs promoting cars,fashion, cell phones and other such adult related products. Accordingto Moore (2004) At the root of the childrens advertising debate isthe question of childrens unique vulnerabilities. Concerns about youngchildren range from their inability to resist specific selling effortsto a fear that without benefit of well-developed critical thinkingskills they may learn undesirable social values such as materialism†(Macklin, 1986 qt. Moore 2004). Her view is also affirmed by Acuff andReiher (1998) who indicate through their study that children aresusceptible to advertisements because of the extensive measures andstrategies adopted by the advertisers. Their study reveals thatmarketers devise winning formulas to gain the confidence of children bysending out messages that winning children are those who are associatedwith certain brands. These may be Barbie, He-Man, Teletubbies orSpider-Man. Identification and association are the keys to the winningformula. The success rate of the winning formula depends on how deep an impactthe product or brand has through the advertisements. These aredeveloped based on the knowledge of the development of the mind of thegrowing consumers. The product leverage mix is formed based onqualities that are demanded by children such as characteristics of ahero, power of a character and/or qualities of the product. The productleverage matrix is a comprehensive model formed for analyzing the needsand wants of the young consumers and a guide to allow marketers to havea look at the bigger picture. Once the matrix is determined the medium, concept, content, context,process, characters or personality, and attitude or style areestablished. Elements to be noted include: What is the psychologicalpoint of view of the target audience? What are the visual and verbalcontents that will be used for the product? How marketers will form thecontext of the advertisements for the target audience and the kind ofprocesses that will be involved to create an interface for interactionwith the potential consumers? Character association or the use ofpersonality to denote product quality is also common in the designingof the matrix etc. (Acuff and Reiher 1998). The marketers are also aware that young children are intelligentindividuals who exercise their developing cognitive abilities byassociating qualities with certain images. For example Bugs Bunny is aclever rabbit or Kellogg’s Pop Tarts are fruity flavoured etc. They areable to associate as well as distinguish between products andcharacteristics of the products. Identifying the points of differencefrom the children’s perspectives is critical but not impossible. Acuffand Reiher (1998) also note that these are assumptions that adults makeregarding the preferences of children such as teens wanting moreenergy; identifying with hero athletes; wanting great taste or newproduct names. Yet at the same time they also warn the marketers that: more often than not these assumptions are left unexamined as toveracity and strength. Its an important practice to check assumptions:check what the leverage actually is, and its relative power versus whathas been assumed. More often than not, adults make erroneousassumptions about what kids perceive to be important and powerfulbecause adults are looking at their product or program through adulteyes. It is critical to get at the actual leverage rather than theassumed leverage. With the above hypothetical Enerjuice example inmind, adults may be surprised when testing directly with kids focusgroups reveals that the new products blue colour is its most powerfulpoint of leverage and that the majority of kids tested dislike the newname. (Acuff and Reiher 1998). The basic premise in such a condition is that marketers need to ensurethey give promises and fulfil them too thereby gaining competitiveadvantage. This kind of positioning helps them to organize andcategorize products in the mind of the targeted consumers. In the endhowever, the marketers must realize that it is the bigger picture thatneeds to be satisfied that is product leverage matrix. At the centreof the matrix are the crucial elements that should not be neglectedsuch as gender, stage, age, structure, dimension, style and pastexperience. The consumers are at the end of this list and are the mostpowerful deciding factor that can make or break their products. Theyconclude that Successful products and programs are those that satisfytheir needs and wants in the short term (impulse) or in the long term.While a colourful and involving Trix cereal package with a maze on theback provides for short-term needs satisfaction, Mattels Hot Wheelscars year after year continue to provide young boys with something theyneed and want small, easily manipulability, colourful minicars thatare fun and involving to play cars with (Vroom! Vroom!) And toaccumulate and collect. (Acuff and Reiher 1998). Children advertising have attracted legal, scholars and parentalattention. Proponents of the children targeted marketing andadvertising argue that the financial backing that children programs aregetting derive from sponsors who make programs on television possible.Advertising to children are therefore motivated by profitability.Furthermore they also argue that these sponsors target a separate nichemarket of children of age group 12 and 14. Advertising provides themwith product information and does not really provide stimulus aschildren in this age group are more like adults with their specificideologies, attitudes and behaviours where preferences of products andservices are concerned. They have been exposed to persuasive messagesfor a long time and can distinguish persuasive messages from empoweringones. Thus they are product and advertising savvy. On the other hand opponents such as parents and consumer protectiongroups argue that advertising directed at children are not onlyunethical but they are also manipulative stimulants that promoteconsumerism in children from a very young age. Advertisements createwants and poor nutritional habits that induce children to pesterparents for products that are harmful for them (Berlger 1999). Theiropinions have been affirmed by Acuff and Reiher (1997) who suggest thatpreschool children at two and three years old tend to identify withfrequently seen images and therefore would be attracted towardsspokes-character in advertising and marketing. The desire to see thesecharacters and related products they see on television, packaging andpromotions induce demand for the same among children. According to DelVecchio (1998, p. 225), The objective is to select an effective pieceof advertising that will break through clutter, communicate the name ofthe brand, its key feature and benefit, and do so in a cool way thatwill elicit a childs request. Those advertisers are successful whosuccessfully use innovation, meticulous marketing, planning and massiveexposures in their key characters according to Schneider (1989). The ethical dilemma enters the scenario when one refers to the degreeand extent of the use of stimuli. Research indicates thatspokes-characters use role play and features that would relate animatedwith human characters and thereby influence childrens attitudes(Chebat et al 1992). The issues surrounding the use of advertisingcharacters to children stem from the fact that the characters arecommoditized without consideration for its impact on the children.Without regulations, advertisers tend to deviate from the conventionaluse of these characters. They treat children and adult related productsalike. That is perhaps the reason why Cross (2002) indicates that therehas been a rise in restrictions on tobacco advertising during the 1990sto curb tobacco companies from targeting children by the use ofspokes-characters in their advertising and marketing campaigns. In this context advertisements have a deep ethical impact on thecognitive and development of growing children and the authority needsto recognize this fact. According to Roedder (1981) children arevulnerable and fail to utilize cognitive plans for storing andretrieving information. The categorization of processing deficienciesstem from the childs inability to use the actual strategies and aidsfor storing information in the memory. Limited processing capabilitiesin young age group especially induce children to learn throughmemorization and are not capable of using tools for separating,segregating and processing information according to utility. Insteadthey use information incidentally. Television uses fast pace visualgraphics and audiovisual medium to influence preschoolers and aroundthat age group. The effects become consistent when children areregularly exposed to these audiovisual images so that they becomeimprinted on the minds of the young children (Alwitt et al 1980).Animation a nd other stimulus have double impact on the informationprocessors of children. As children become receptive to advertisementsor images that are regularly shown they come to recognize it in theirdaily experiences. Once the images are imprinted in the targeted group’s mind it is easyto generate brand recognition through triggering keys which may be inthe form of visual or audio effects. Spokes-characters such cartooncharacters have this essential effects on the children. Studies havefound that young children often discriminate between products on asimple heuristic of whether one particular quality (which may includebrand name or character) is present or not (Rust and Hyatt 1991 qt.Neeley and Schumann 2004). Another aspect of advertisements is that children tend to associatewith the characters and brand that they prefer. Instilling a brand inchildren’s minds is easy when spokes-characters are used to define thequalities of the products. For example in Bahns (1996) study four andfive year olds proved to be receptive to product characteristics byinferring spokes-characters. Bahn gives the example of cereal boxes.Boxes with cartoons are associated with sugary and sweet cereal meantfor kids while those that do not have cartoons are bland and notsweet, and are meant for adults. This logic for cereal preferences andchoices indicate that advertisements with their logos, characters andcartoons all have a great impact on the minds of young children in thisage group. While Bahns example seem harmless whereby advertisers are merely usingthe characteristics and qualities of products to appeal to the youngconsumers, Fischer et als (1991) example raises ethical dilemma. Intheir study the researchers asked children ages three to six toidentify logo brands with the appropriate product. They observe thatchildren tend to associate the Old Joe character with cigarettes. Thisassociation has been developed through the inference of the Cameladvertisements that uses Old Joe a cartoon character for brandpersonalization. Hence, the researchers conclude that regardless of theintentions of advertisers and marketers, the effects of advertising onchildren are inevitable. Yet there are arguments against this view by psychologists such asPiaget (1929). This group of individuals are of the view thatpreoperational children between ages two and seven do not reallyprocess information logically or abstractly. They rely on processingstrategies such as â€Å"transductive† to connect between thoughts andreasoning and therefore not susceptible to the underlying qualities.They may understand simple expressions of but have difficulty inassociating it with product differentiation. Consequently Neeley andSchumann (2004) write: While research findings show that young children can exhibit highlevels of character/product recognition, association, and affect, thechallenge arises when we assume that these early responses lead toproduct preference, intention, and choice. Recognition, association,and affect are manifestations of simpler cognitive processing abilitiesthan preference, intention, and choice, and research supports thenotion that these simple abilities would be present in children asyoung as two or three years old. More advanced cognitive abilities arerequired for the later behavioural stages of preference, intention, andchoice because these responses require a child to position one item(e.g., brand/product) relative to others, something that a child maynot be able to d

Shaping the 21st Century Government Revolution

Bill Clinton says that the government must shape a 21st century revolution. He carried on in his last state of the union address making all kinds of proposals ranging from healthcare, fighting crime and education to name a few. He says they must focus on the middle class, proposing a 350 billion dollar tax cut. But exactly how does he propose this shaping take place, and how will it effect our economy? I would like to focus on what he proposed for education. He says the government spends $15 billion a year in our schools. He proposes schools that show progress get rewarded for it. The way to do that is to bring in the best trained teachers, and by having more after school programs to help kids in problem areas. Also he says they need to make schools more up to date, by connecting all classrooms to the Internet. In 1994 only 3% of the classrooms had access now 90% of schools have at least one internet connection. Clinton wants to make the American dream affordable for everyone. By making pell grants larger, having more affordable student loans, hope scholarships, and education IRA's. It would make it more possible for people to go to college and get the education needed to get a good job and further themselves. Clinton says high school graduates that go on to college is up 10% from 1993. He proposed a $30 billion college opportunity tax cut. which means a tax deduction for up to $10,000 in college tuition costs. That would mean more people would be able to afford to go on to collegeNow all these things sound great right? But will it all be possible, and how will all these things affect our economy as we know it? Will it have a huge impact, and if so will it be good or bad? I do not think following though on these proposals will have a bad effect on the economy. If anything I think it will just strengthen the economy. If more people got a better education and were able to afford to go to college to make themselves even better. They would be more likely to find a better job or start a business of their own. If all those things took place then communities would grow stronger and cities would have more businesses which would make more and more jobs. And that would help to bring the poverty level down. There would be less people on welfare and it would probably cut the crime rate also. Now another issue that clinton brought up was health care. He had all kinds of ideas on how to spend money on healthcare but is it really worth it? In 1997 the children's health insurance program was passed. So far there are approximately 2 million children enrolled the goal there is 5 million. Also there are over 40 million Americans that don't have any insurance at all. A large portion of those are people between the ages of 55 and 65. Clinton says Medicare needs to be strengthened and modernized. In his budget he dedicates $400 billion to Medicare that will keep it solvent past 2025. Is all this government spending necessary? I don't think it is. They should make it a requirement for companies to have medical insurance for their employees. Then that would save them a lot of money that can go on other things. One more thing I would like to touch on is a proposal Clinton made on childcare. He says parents spend a quarter of their earnings on childcare. He says that the childcare tax credit should be up to $2,400 for people that make under $30,000 a year. He says that last year alone the government provided childcare for 2 million children. Now I am glad he says all these things about childcare but the simple fact is this, there are so many people that can't work because they can't afford childcare. And the only way they can get help to pay for it is if they are on welfare. Now to me that doesn't sound like the government is trying to help the average American move up or better themselves in that aspect that they try to help the people that really need it. Now taking that and putting it all together, it would make our country all together stronger if the government put money where it really needs to go instead of putting it in their own pockets. Which in all reality in the stretch of things we all know that's where it will end up.