Posted 4. April 2009, 10:30 by David Ellis
Category : Home   Academic developments

Advancements in media technology, has led to the internet having increased influence over people’s lives, thus generating various opportunities for marketers, especially since the internet encourages interactivity unlike traditional media (Coyle and Thorson 2001; Hoffman and Novak 1996; Pavlik 1996 citied in Jee and Lee, 2002). This concept of interactivity allows consumers to build relationships with brands and thus, factors permitting, can lead to increased brand loyalty (Cuneo 1995 citied in Jee and Lee, 2002).

Ethical implications come to light when branded websites are aimed at children under 12 years old: after all, in January 2007, advertising unhealthy foods to children was banned in the UK (BBC News, 2006). These websites encourage children to participate in online games and quiz’s whilst subtly communicating the benefits of products on the websites. Furthermore, and perhaps unintentionally, these online activities can encourage children to experience flow: summarised by Csikszentmihalyi (1990, p4 citied in Sicilia and Ruiz, 2007) as the state to which a person becomes so involved in the act of network navigation that “nothing else seems to matter�.

This summary already introduces one of the ethical issues concerning flow, especially involving children, who are considered less socially developed and more naïve to the ulterior motivies of marketers. This discussion investigates the various ethical issues facing marketers of encouraging children to experience flow through participating on online branded websites that encourage this flow experience. What benefits and disadvantages can the flow experience have on children? Contemporary examples, particularly of products which are deemed unhealthy will be analysed with reference to academic theory and interviews conducted with two children.

Before ethical issues can be analysed, it is important to understand the characteristics of the “Flow Experience Theory� and how this relates to online usage. Csikszentmihalyi (1988; Jackson, 1992; Jackson and Eklund, 2004; Webster, Trevino, and Ryan, 1993 citied in Drenger and Gaus et al. 2008) summarise below the key characteristics of Flow:

•Promotes a highly enjoyable, holistic sensation
•Full, uninterrupted involvement from the participant
•Immediate feedback on success or failure of an activity
•The participant is fully concentrating on the task
•Regarded as absent minded as the individual loses sense of time
•The belief that their behaviour is under their control

These attributes of Flow play a key role in understanding interactive experiences of individuals online, (Hoffman and Novak 1996) as many can relate to occasions when the list above can be applied to them whilst being online.

There is argument to suggest that the encouraging of flow on branded websites can be viewed as being ethical (issues relating to good and bad content of actions and beliefs, Barny, 1979 citied in Chonko, 1995). Firstly, the flow experience is enjoyable and can be entertaining for children, relieving them from being bored. Hunt (1995 citied in Gackenbach, 2007) comments that the characteristics of flow means that individuals experience conscious awareness coupled with clarity of thought that generates a sense of freedom, release and exhilaration from the world around them.

To aid in my investigation of the ethics and characteristics of flow, I conducted two short interviews with two boys (James aged 6 and Luke aged 10, outlined in the appendices). The two boys both commented that when they engaged in online computer games, they experienced considerable enjoyment that meant they continued to play for hours at a time. The older boy commented: “I really enjoy playing Age of War Craft…it is hard but it’s fun�. The younger boy expressed similar enthusiasm, saying that the game was “fun�. It became apparent through more questioning that Luke, unlike James was experiencing flow when playing games online. Their responses to this question helped illustrate that flow in terms of online gaming can be seen as ethical as it allows children to generate fun and positive experiences.

Additionally, Flow on branded websites has the ability to encourage interactive learning for children and arguably improve their IT navigation and all-learning. The Smarties website from Nestle has an online quiz which asks children questions about geography and general knowledge for example, encouraging them to learn as they play. However, this element of learning is debatable when it comes to a debate around flow and ethics. The Smarties website subtly communicates the benefits of eating Smarties (no artificial colourings) all the way through these online activities, thus trying to subconsciously communicate product benefits. For instance, it would be seen as more ethical to influence children to eat more yoghurt than to influence them to buy a chocolate.

The Muller Yoghurt website is a good example that illustrates online games specifically designed for children. The website has a wide variety of games that encourages concentration from participants. Once a game is selected from the drop down menu, the game is played in a smaller pop-up window, which means that the Muller logo remains visible whilst the game is being played. This cleverly means that whilst individuals play the games (and perhaps experience flow), there are continuously being confronted with the logo which subtly promotes the brand.

As flow makes results from children focusing on a task on which they are applying their skills online (through a quiz, computer game or colouring in activity) it can be argued that this aids in their development. Jenkins and Clinton et al. (2006 citied in Galarneau, 2008) explain that children need to experiment with their surroundings and engage in problem solving online through play to learn and set them up for skills they will need later in life. However, perhaps this interpretation deviates from distinguishing online flow form flow experienced in real life. Children can learn through activities at school, playing sports and socially interacting with other children: the internet is not necessarily the only play where flow can be experienced. This rather dilutes the argument for ethically encouraging online play on branded websites.

Perhaps the obvious point that marketers forget when encouraging flow in children is that because of their young age, they are far more vulnerable and less experienced than adults to the knowledge of why marketers are targeting them. Research has indicated that the understanding of persuasive intent in advertising develops with age and that young children do not possess this ability (Brown, 2004). When James was asked why he thought Smarties had online games on their website, he responded: “its fun�. The older boy, Luke went further and answered “It’s because they want us to have fun�. The subtly differences in these answers illustrate that Luke is starting to understand (although not fully) the motives of the company to try and subtly persuade him to think about eh product. James on the other hand failed to spot this, helping to illustrate how younger children are more vulnerable to marketer’s efforts, aiming encouraged flow less ethical. This issue is particularly apparent as parental guidance is not always available when children participate in online activities on branded websites.

Marketers clearly have the opportunity to capitalise on the interactive involvement online communities and gaming has which can lead to positive brand building and added value in the mind of the consumer (Chaffey and Mayer et al. 2000). This high level of involvement from consumers relates back to the ELM (Petty and Cacioppo, 1983, Antil, 1984 cited in Te’eni-Harari et al. 2007), which states that consumers that have higher involvement in activity experience cognitive learning (consider arguments but to them by brands) and then, if favourable arguments are acknowledged, this increases the likelihood of attitudinal and behavioural change.

This increased involvement, leading to the experience of flow results in individuals experiencing a loss of control as they lose their sense of time without realising it. When Luke was asked how long he spent online, he said that he did not spend long online. His mother then interrupted and said that he was always online for hours, much at the annoyance of Luke. This strongly indicated that Luke experienced this loss of time and feeling of control, showing he did experience flow. This apparent loss of control and lack of wanting to acknowledge how long he spent online highlighted that flow had a powerful and disruptive influence on Luke’s behaviour (especially when he said he preferred playing online games on the weekends rather than being active and playing football). Linking this back to the issue of marketers encouraging flow to be experienced by children added weight to the argument that this activity was unethical.

Marketing to children is nothing new, and thusly there have been ethical issues that marketers have had to face through various marketing activities. The dimension of Flow clearly can be perceived to have possible benefits for children – allowing them to experience enjoyment, improve their navigation skills online and depending on the website, and encourage interactive and social learning. However flow has negative connotations to children, mostly based on the amount of time children can spend online activities, which are shamelessly devised by marketers for the ulterior motive of changing their perceptions and opinions on a brand and its products. This represents a clear advantage to marketers, where building relationships through interactivity and increased involvement via flow is increasingly becoming the norm: and why not with children, the consumers of the future.

This essay does highlight however the responsibilities those marketers have when it comes to targeting children, although admittedly, additional insight would have been benefited by more interviews and observations of the behaviour of children online when they experienced flow.

Flow has the ability to make people lose control of their actions online, illustrated through their loss of time, and in terms of young children, who are unaware of the motives of marketers; this is clearly unethical. However, children will experience flow not just online but during their daily lives when playing sports and watching television to list a few examples. As a result, it can be perceived as being ethical for marketers to encourage children to participate online, as long as their primary motive is not to instigate flow but rather to make them aware of a product they are advertising. If flow does occur, it needs to be understood that this would have happened anyway and the blame cannot be blamed solely on marketers.

Perhaps, this investigation has missed the bigger picture, as flow is only one way that online communications can have a rather sinister way of influencing our lives. Individuals, at the expense of marketers, need to be aware to make sure that they are in control of their behaviour – that the internet is their slave, not their master. However, such ethical issues are the responsibility of the individuals not marketers: and in terms of children, their parents, to regulate the amount of time they spend online and experience flow when engaging with online activities.

References

Anomy, (2006), Junk food ad crackdown announced, BBC News. Available from: www.bbc.co.uk/news [17th March 2009].

Brown, A., (2004), The ethics of marketing to children, Market Leader, Issue 25, p28-32, London: World Advertising Research Centre. Available from: www.warc.com [16th March 2009].

Chaffey, D., Mayer, R., Johnston, K., Ellis-Chadwick, F., (2000), Internet Marketing, London: Prentice Hall.

Chonko, L.B., (1995), Ethical Decision Making in Marketing, London: Sage Productions.

Drengner, J., Gaus, H., Jahn, S., (2008), Does Flow Influence the Brand Image in Event Marketing?, Journal of Advertising Research, Volume 48, Number 1, pp138-147, London: World Advertising Research Centre. Available from: www.warc.com: [30th January 2009].

Gackenbach, J., (2007), Psychology and the Internet: Intrapersonal, interpersonal and transpersonal implications, 2nd Edition, London: Elsevier.

Galarneau, L., (2008), What virtual worlds tell us about participation, community, globalisation and marketing in the 21st century, Market Research Society, Annual Conference, London: World Advertising Research Centre. Available from www.warc.com: [2nd March 2009].

Hoffman, D., Novak, T.P., (1996), Marketing in Hypermedia Computer-Mediated Environments: Conceptual Foundations, Journal of Marketing, Issue 60, p 50–68, London: World Advertising Research Centre. Available from www.warc.com [20th March 2009].

Jee, J., Lee, W., (2002), Antecedents and Consequences of Perceived Interactivity, Journal of Interactive Advertising, Volume 3, Number 1, London: World Advertising Research Centre. Available from www.warc.com [15th March 2009].

Sicilia, M., Ruiz,S., (2007), The Role of Flow in Web Site Effectiveness, Journal of Interactive Advertising, Volume 8, Number 1, London: World Advertising Research Centre. Available www.warc.com [17th March 2009].

Te’eni-Harari, T., Lehman-Wilzig, S., Lampert, S.I., (2007), Information Processing of Advertising Among Young People: The Elaboration Likelihood Model as applied to Youth, Journal of Advertising Research, Volume 47, Number 3, pp326-340, London: World Advertising Research Centre. Available from: www.warc.com [5th January 2009].

Appendices

Interview Results: This is a summary of the interviews that were collected for the essay. The children (brothers) that were questioned knew me through their older brother and I asked permission from their parents before data was collected. James was 6, Luke 10.

How long do you usually spend online each day?

James: Didn’t know, told me to ask his mother
Luke: “A few hours I think� was the initial response. With more probing he said he didn’t really know

What games do you like playing the most?

James: “I like watching Luke on the computer�
Luke: “Age of Warcraft�

Why do you play these games online?

James: “Because it’s fun�
Luke: “I really enjoy playing Age of Warcraft with my mates. We do missions together…It’s wicked�

How long do you play them for?

James: He didn’t know and told me to ask his mother or Luke
Luke: He said not that long, but his mother interjected at this point and said “hours�. This annoyed Luke

Does your mum mind you spending time online?

James: He didn’t know and told me to ask Luke
Luke: “Yeah, mum always tells me off!�

(After showing them the Smarties website): Why do you think they have games on here?

James: “It’s fun�
Luke: He commented that the quiz was too easy. Then he said: “It’s because they want us to have fun�

What do you like doing on the weekend?

James: “Seeing my Daddy� (his parents are divorced)
Luke: “I like playing football and Age of Warcraft…I prefer age of Warcraft �

The above results indicated to me that James did not experience flow online and that Luke did.