Executive Summary

ccording to some estimates, children in developed nations are exposed to around 25,000 adverts every year. This is seen as ethically problematic by a number of academics and policy makers, and countries such as Sweden and Greece heavily restrict the practice. Those who defend child advertising point out that advertising content varies enormously and should not all be tarred with the same brush. They also point out that advertising funds children’s media that would not exist otherwise.

‘Should we advertise to children?’ is a one day workshop designed to bring together students from diverse disciplines to critically engage with the key arguments relating to child advertising. It offers business students the opportunity to build their Corporate Social Responsibility credentials. It also enables those who might be uncomfortable with child advertising to voice their concerns to those in the advertising world. In addition, it offers philosophy students the opportunity to see how their discipline can be applied to the public domain.

All students taking part in the workshop will develop their critical thinking skills and gain a better understanding of this important topic. The workshop will aim for constructive conversation between different perspectives, while allowing room for disagreement and challenge.