The Pervasive Influence of Social Media Food Marketing on Children and Adolescents
Social media has become an undeniable force in shaping the digital food environment for young people, exposing them to a barrage of unhealthy food and beverage advertisements. This pervasive marketing, primarily for ultra-processed products high in fat, sodium, and sugar, significantly influences children’s and adolescents’ dietary habits, often bypassing their cognitive awareness. While awareness of these tactics among young people remains limited, the impact on their consumption patterns and overall food behavior is substantial. Existing voluntary regulations have proven ineffective, necessitating the development and implementation of robust government regulations specifically tailored to the online world. Combating this pervasive marketing will require equipping young people with media literacy skills, fostering critical thinking, and acknowledging the significant role the digital food environment plays in contributing to the obesogenic environment.
This comprehensive review of current literature reveals that exposure to unhealthy food advertising on digital media is widespread, with disproportionate impacts on certain groups. Older adolescents and those residing in specific countries, particularly the USA, appear more susceptible. These findings align with existing evidence indicating that older adolescents are exposed to more unhealthy food advertising on television than younger children, despite children’s overall higher exposure to food advertisements. This discrepancy likely reflects regulations targeting younger audiences and differences in viewership habits. Further research is needed to understand the impact on marginalized groups, who already bear a disproportionate burden of childhood obesity. Effective interventions must consider marketing exposure across subgroups to address existing health inequalities and disparities exacerbated by factors like poverty and food insecurity.
While studies suggest high levels of social media marketing exposure, these figures may be underestimated due to reliance on self-reported data. Subtle digital marketing techniques, such as influencer endorsements and advergames, often go unnoticed by adolescents and thus unreported. The discrepancy between self-reported and actual social media use, particularly among prolific users, further complicates accurate exposure assessment. The lack of publicly available data on social media usage and industry practices hinders research and potentially exacerbates health inequities. Moreover, the limited direct measurement of food marketing exposure, primarily confined to a few countries like Australia, Mexico, and Canada, raises concerns about the accuracy of exposure data globally. The practice of social media platforms selling user data to health-harming industries for advertising purposes further complicates efforts to counter unhealthy advertising. Developing innovative research approaches is crucial to understand the true scope and impact of the social media industry as a commercial determinant of health.
Evidence consistently demonstrates the influence of digital media marketing of unhealthy food on children’s and adolescents’ awareness, consumption, and overall food intake. Social media marketing’s role in promoting high-energy intake, often bypassing cognitive awareness, aligns with its classification as a driver of the obesogenic environment. The interconnectedness of digital and physical food environments, largely due to the increasing digitalization of food systems, underscores the importance of recognizing the online environment’s contribution to the obesogenic environment. This recognition is particularly crucial in the post-COVID-19 era, marked by a significant rise in online food delivery services. Acknowledging the role of online environments, especially social media marketing, is essential for identifying obesity drivers and developing effective policy responses.
Beyond promoting unhealthy products, the ultra-processed food industry leverages social media to further its corporate goals, employing tactics consistent with commercial determinants of health. These tactics include influencing policy debates and co-opting public health narratives, mirroring strategies used by transnational corporations to undermine efforts to prevent and control non-communicable diseases like obesity. Social media provides an unparalleled platform for advancing corporate interests, such as corporate social responsibility initiatives, which achieve greater impact online compared to other mediums. This dual role of social media – promoting unhealthy products while simultaneously providing tools to influence policy decisions – makes it a powerful force shaping the food environment for young people.
Regulating this space presents significant challenges, including the promotion of brands rather than specific products, difficulties in determining intended audiences, and the transnational reach of social media marketing. Brand marketing, a cornerstone of social media platforms, often circumvents the definition of unhealthy food marketing within existing regulations, particularly voluntary ones. Influencer endorsements and peer-generated content blur the lines between user-generated and company-sponsored content, making it challenging to detect, monitor, and regulate digital advertising. The difficulty in identifying ad origins by country highlights the transnational reach of social media marketing and the need for international cooperation to protect children and adolescents. The lack of global coordination allows companies to exploit jurisdictions with lax regulations, while social media facilitates advertising beyond their operating jurisdiction without accountability. Furthermore, policies often overlook the specific needs of adolescents, excluding them from protections intended for children or adults. Policies, both self-regulatory and government-led, must address and promote the distinct needs of this age group. Existing regulations have failed to keep pace with the evolving digital marketing landscape, particularly the rise of social media. New regulatory approaches specifically tailored to the digital world are urgently needed.