14. TV Ads for Kids
Children in Sweden probably aren’t coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs. They can’t taste the rainbow. And they can’t do the Dew, because TV advertising aimed at children under the age of 12 has been banned since 1991. Benevolent mascots for sugary cereals can’t even sneak their way into ads between cartoons, because all commercial sponsorship of children’s programming is banned.
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Norway, Finland, and Quebec enforce similar measures. Britain outlaws TV and radio advertising for foods high in fat, salt, or sugar to kids under 16. Supporters of these bans argue that nefarious advertisers were corrupting kids by turning them into obese slobs hungry for fast food and the next big toy or gadget.
Still, popular children’s programming makes its way to Sweden. According to one study, many of these programs feature positive depictions of what these evil ads would have sold: candy, sugary drinks, and high-calorie snacks.
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