THE AGE OF LOST INNOCENCEREPRESENTATION OF CHILDREN IN TELEVISION ADVERTISEMENTS

Abstract

We are living in a ‘mediatised’ world, in which the dominant mode of communication seems to be shifting from
symbolic to iconic. Earlier cultures primarily depended either on face to face symbolic communication or later print,
however, with the advent of television and accompanied developments in communication technologies; the
contemporary culture seems to be dominated by images. Undoubtedly, television as the dominant medium of mass
communication in the contemporary world spawned intractable questions about values and belief systems. As image
dominated medium of communication, it influences everybody irrespective of their age and intelligence. It is said that
even cats can understand television programmes at their own level. A child is born innocent and for years remains
innocent, because of protection by parents and lack of exposure to outer world. However, the changes that are taking
place in the technological and cultural spheres in recent years, pose a serious challenge to parents and the society at
large. In earlier cultures, children make sense of their world through symbols which necessitated some practice and
dependence on elders but now they understand the world through images which need not necessarily require a higher
level of competence and guidance of elders. As the images of television ubiquitous, children are getting over exposed
to them. Through the exposure to television programmes, children developing an understanding about the world out
there and in turn seem to be losing their innocence at tender ages. Such developments critics say will have serious
implications on society and culture. It is in this context the paper analyses the representation of children in television
commercials from postmodern perspectives. For the purpose of analysis television advertisements have been selected
on the basis of the presence of the children in them. As the study deals with the representation of children, the ads
selected feature children as the main protagonists.