May 16

I woke up this morning and tuned into the Today Show. Meredith Vieira presented a bit on Skecher's Shape-Ups and how their marketing techniques may be sending the wrong message to young children. Shape-Ups are a shoe that's designed to tone muscles (specifically legs and rear), promote weight loss and make it easy to get in shape while running or even just walking. I'd think the target audience for this specific product would be at least around ages 16+. However, I would be wrong. Because the company decided to direct this product to children as young as 7-years old. Below is a commercial directed towards young girls with closing tagline, "Stay Fit...Have Fun...In Shape-ups!!!"

 

 

This segment on the Today Show got me thinking. I have observed that girls today are concerned with their body image at a much younger age from when I was a child. I've even witnessed this myself when I heard an 8-year-old say "I look fat in that picture" when she was thin as a twig. This makes me wonder...where is this all coming from? Many people's first instinct would be the media. Marketing industry research has shown that children 11 years and older do not consider themselves children anymore. In fact, the Toy Manufacturers of America have changed their target age from birth to 14, to birth to 11-years-old.

 

The internet hardly existed until I was in high school. The only thing I can remember using it for was research papers, homework and essays. Nowadays, the internet is part of youth culture. Kids are utilizing it for many different reasons besides school work; AND on a daily basis. Because many parents today did not grow up with this type of technology, I think many don't fully understand the extent of what goes on behind the screen and the marketing that their children may be exposed to.

 

It'll be hard to control the content that today's children are exposed to, but I guess the best thing parents can do is talk to their kids and be that positive role model in their lives.

 

To see the the Today Show's segment on Shape-ups, click here.