05/19/2026
Hello everyone 😊
I hope you are all doing well this week. I really enjoyed reflecting on this topic because it helped me understand how media influences children and how important it is to guide them correctly.
Do you recall ever wanting something you saw in an advertisement? A toy? A particular food? Did you get it?
In my case, I do not remember being strongly influenced by television advertisements when I was a child. What influenced me the most was my social environment—my friends, neighbors, and what was popular around me in my building and neighborhood. I paid more attention to what others had or were using rather than what I saw on TV. This experience helped me understand that children are influenced not only by advertising but also by social surroundings, which can sometimes have an even stronger effect on what they want or think they need.
Do you think advertising is harmful to children? Why or why not?
Yes, I believe advertising can be harmful to children because they are still developing their ability to think critically. Children often trust what they see and may not realize that advertising is designed to persuade them. This can influence their decisions, their desires, and even how they see themselves. However, I also believe that advertising is not always negative—it depends on the message. If advertising is created with values and responsibility, it can have a positive impact, but unfortunately, that is not always the case.
Should advertising be removed entirely from children's programming?
I do not think advertising should be completely removed, but it should definitely be more carefully controlled and guided by ethical standards. Based on my experience working with children in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I learned that teaching children requires responsibility, preparation, and respect. There are manuals, training materials, and guidelines designed to help teachers communicate in an appropriate and meaningful way according to children's age and needs. In the same way, those who create media and advertising should follow clear ethical guidelines when addressing children as an audience.
Do you think current government regulations are adequate to protect children, or do they favor the interests of advertisers? If not, what should change?
I believe that current regulations are not always sufficient to fully protect children. In many situations, advertising practices seem to prioritize profit over the well-being of young audiences. While some regulations exist, they are not always fully effective or strictly enforced. I think there should be stronger policies and greater accountability to ensure that advertising directed toward children is appropriate, respectful, and does not take advantage of their lack of experience or understanding.
How can children be protected from advertising in online media today?
Children can be protected through a combination of parental guidance, education, and stronger responsibility from media platforms. Parents play a key role by supervising what children watch and by teaching them how to understand media messages. However, teaching values is just as important as monitoring content.
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the family is central. There is a commandment known as Family Home Evening, given by prophets from Jesus Christ, where families gather to pray, learn, and spend meaningful time together. This gathering usually includes a prayer, a hymn, a lesson about the gospel or other important topics, and ends with prayer again. When children are present, families are encouraged to include activities or games so they can enjoy the experience and develop a love for learning together.
The Church also provides manuals, resources, and videos designed to guide parents in teaching according to the age and needs of each child. These teachings emphasize the sacred responsibility of parents to teach and protect their children, as taught in Doctrine and Covenants and in The Family: A Proclamation to the World.
Throughout the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ, children are highly valued and loved. They are taught from a young age the importance of caring for their bodies, developing resilience, and becoming self-reliant. Jesus Christ showed His love for children by inviting them to come unto Him, as recorded in the Bible and the Book of Mormon. This example teaches us the importance of protecting, teaching, and guiding children with love.
When children grow with a strong foundation in the teachings of Jesus Christ—learning to be mindful of what they watch, who influences them, and how they make decisions—they become better prepared to protect themselves. Even in a world full of constant advertising, they can rely on their values and make choices that reflect what is right.
I used Grammarly to help me correct my English grammar because my first language is Spanish.
