What is a potential long-term effect of repeated exposure to television…

Concept

Repeated persuasive messages can act as agents of socialization by linking products and brands with desirable outcomes such as happiness, status, or success.

When such associations are encountered repeatedly, they can become part of a child’s developing consumer attitudes and values rather than remaining a momentary response to one advertisement.

Application

Television advertising repeatedly presents consumption and possessions as rewarding. Over time, a child may absorb these associations and give material possessions greater importance.

Contrast

• Becoming less influenced by peers concerns a different source of social influence; repeated advertising does not imply that peer influence will decline.

• Always preferring homemade products is an absolute and unrelated product-origin preference; advertising responses vary across children and products.

• Refusing all television is complete media avoidance. Repeated advertising exposure may influence attitudes and preferences, but it does not by itself establish a mechanism that would lead children to stop watching the medium altogether.

Cross-check

Research reviews report a positive association between children’s exposure to television advertising and materialism, which matches the socialization mechanism described above.

Result

Therefore, a potential long-term effect is that children may internalize materialistic values.