The “Content Themes of Alcohol Advertising in U.S. Television–Latent Class Analysis” looks at the common popular themes in contemporary TV ads for alcohol and the associated underlying themes that are promoted. This is done in response to the role of alcohol in causing death in the U.S. population and other alcohol related problems particularly among youths . For example, the article states that among people 12-20 (below the U.S. drinking age) alcohol contributes to the three leading causes of death (unintentional injury, homicide, and suicide). Evidence points to exposure to alcohol ads as being one independent factor in initiating early drinking, risky drinking, increase in drinking frequency and teenage problems related to alcohol but we
…show more content…
The article acknowledges that while it is compelling to think that themes of ads may influence youths it does not actually prove it. So it could be a third variable such as the fact that most of the ads are aired at night or that beer ads are the most common and are aired during the day and on weekends more, times when partying is probably on people's mind so they might go get some booze to go with the party. Another one could be the channels that ads are on. For example, drinks that underaged people and new drinkers are more likely to drink such as flavoured beers and alcopops were mostly aired on the Entertainment channel and these ads may also coincide with television shows promoting a “social party” theme, an example which underaged youths may follow and thus those problems associated with alcohol and people between 12-20 arise. Another example of the spurious correlation that was brought up in the discussion in class following the presentation was that it could be the drinking age that plays a heavy role in these problems. Because the drinking age is 21 here in the U.S. (which is fairly high compared to most countries) it could encourage initiating early drinking and the other problems that come along with that particularly since our culture kind of views alcohol as taboo in all areas of life until you are ‘legal’. Youths 12-20, where the problems are concentrated, are also the people who mostly watch TV at night and who watch the entertainment and sports channels (whereas old people watch the news during the day) but they are also the people under the drinking age in the U.S. so it is possible for a spurious
The article acknowledges that while it is compelling to think that themes of ads may influence youths it does not actually prove it. So it could be a third variable such as the fact that most of the ads are aired at night or that beer ads are the most common and are aired during the day and on weekends more, times when partying is probably on people's mind so they might go get some booze to go with the party. Another one could be the channels that ads are on. For example, drinks that underaged people and new drinkers are more likely to drink such as flavoured beers and alcopops were mostly aired on the Entertainment channel and these ads may also coincide with television shows promoting a “social party” theme, an example which underaged youths may follow and thus those problems associated with alcohol and people between 12-20 arise. Another example of the spurious correlation that was brought up in the discussion in class following the presentation was that it could be the drinking age that plays a heavy role in these problems. Because the drinking age is 21 here in the U.S. (which is fairly high compared to most countries) it could encourage initiating early drinking and the other problems that come along with that particularly since our culture kind of views alcohol as taboo in all areas of life until you are ‘legal’. Youths 12-20, where the problems are concentrated, are also the people who mostly watch TV at night and who watch the entertainment and sports channels (whereas old people watch the news during the day) but they are also the people under the drinking age in the U.S. so it is possible for a spurious