Influencers and product placement: how social networks promote junk food among the youngest

Social networks are no strangers to the spread of childhood obesity. For researchers from the University of New York, the digital giants would largely participate in the promotion of a diet rich in sugar and fat to young users responsible for an increase in obesity in children. The results of their study were published in the October edition of the American monthly Pediatrics.

Content watched by children

Childhood obesity is one of the major public health concerns. According to figures from the World Health Organization (WHO)nearly 43 million children worldwide under the age of five were overweight in 2016. As far as France is concerned, the Health Insurance estimates that 12% of kindergarten children are overweight and 3.5% are obese. These pathologies and all the health complications that result from them are largely preventable. They are mostly food-related, especially processed products that are too high in fat, sugar and salt.

For this study, the researchers analyzed how videos on the internet present fast food and junk food. They based their tests on the five most popular channels among children aged 3 to 14 in the United States. These channels, themselves held by children, had a total of 418 videos at the time of the experiment.

They analyzed the 50 most viewed videos on these channels and 50 videos featuring food or drink on the featured thumbnails. They then looked at whether the children consumed these foods in their videos and how long the food or product brands appeared. Finally, they looked at the nutritional qualities of the foods presented.

Sodas and junk food highlighted

In these fifty videos, references to drinks and/or food were mentioned 291 times. All the videos on these five channels have been viewed 48 billion times, and those referring to food alone have a billion views. Most of the products cited referred to 90% for brands of fast food (McDonald’s was cited 81 times), sweets (Kinder is cited 13 times, M&M’s twelve times) or for drinks (Coca-Cola is cited eight times times and Starbucks five times). Healthy foods, produced or not by brands, are mentioned very little (fruits were mentioned nine times and yogurts only seven times).

In their conclusions, the researchers highlight the harmful influence that these young actors of internet video platforms can have on other children. By promoting product placements sponsored by brands, videographers are not helping the younger generation switch to a diet that will not endanger their health in the long term.

In addition, scientists say that the situation will not improve, in particular because of the restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, which impose limits on outdoor activities conducive to allowing children to carry out physical activities.

Junior Influencer: A Big Money Story

What the study also highlights is the financial dimension of the visibility given to these products. As reported in the preamble, “lFood and beverage companies spend $1.8 billion a year on marketing targeted at young people, which is concerning given that lab studies have found that children who are exposed to food advertising consume more calories than children who are exposed to non-food advertising.”

They also take YouTube’s highest-earning influencer in 2018 and 2019 as an example: an eight-year-old boy who earned $26 million from ads that appeared before his videos aired and brand-sponsored posts.

These product placements increase brand awareness among children, which also influences their buying behavior with their parents. In addition, the researchers point out that children under the age of eight do not have the cognitive abilities or the hindsight necessary to distinguish between an advertisement and a cartoon.

Finally, the study points out that because of the mass effect generated by the thousands of “likes” on a video, it can distort the judgment of parents into believing that it is socially acceptable that a child watches these kinds of videos. Moreover, this would create in these children a feeling of confidence making them more able to influence their parents for the purchase of the products presented in the video.