Children and Advertising on Social Network Games: A Structural Equation Model of Parental Media Mediation, Advertising Literacy, and Pester Intent

• In Event: Understanding and Countering Effects of Advertising on Youth

Abstract

Social network games (SNGs), often used for advertising purposes, are popular among young adolescents. In this study, we test a conceptual model in which perceived parental mediation strategies are related to conceptual and attitudinal advertising literacy in SNG. In turn, both conceptual and attitudinal advertising literacy are related to pestering intention. A total of 781 participants (10-14 years old) were asked to view a video clip of SNG Habbo, including a commercial message, and to fill in a questionnaire. SEM analysis confirmed that autonomy-supportive restrictive media mediation was related to understanding selling intentions. Autonomy-supportive active media mediation was positively related to understanding persuasive intentions of SNG advertising and negatively related to children’s critical attitude towards SNG advertising. Further, our model indicates that children’s critical attitude towards SNG advertising is negatively related to pester intentions and that children’s understanding of the persuasive intent is positively associated with pester intentions.

Authors

• Ini Vanwesenbeeck, U of Antwerp - Department of Communication Studies

• Michel Walrave, U of Antwerp

• Koen Ponnet, U of Antwerp