What Parents Should Know About the Sneaky In-App Ads Targeting Toddlers

It’s hard to keep your toddler away from tablets or other smart devices. And even if you limit the screen time based on the American Academy of Pediatrics’ guidelines, your kid may still be at risk of viewing some dangerous ads.

Ninety-five percent of 135 popular apps for kids 5 and under contain at least one type of advertising, according to a new study led by University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. The study marks the first attempt to examine the use of in-app ads on young kids.

“With young children now using mobile devices on an average of one hour a day, it’s important to understand how this type of commercial exposure may impact children’s health and well-being,” says senior author Jenny Radesky, M.D.

Radesky found many of the ads to be using manipulative and disruptive methods, and in some cases, the ads surpassed the time spent playing the game.

“This has important implications for advertising regulation, the ethics of child app design, as well as how parents discern which children’s apps are worth downloading," says Radesky.

The University of Michigan researchers found kids’ experiences using apps was often interrupted by pop-up video ads, game characters urging them to make in-app purchases and banner ads which weren’t always age-appropriate. While all tested free apps featured advertisements, 88 percent of purchased apps also ran ads.

And some ads used deceptive tactics, with characters from the game urging kids to pay for certain upgrades for more game-play options. Additionally, many banner ads promoted adult-appropriate apps requiring a user to watch the full promo before a box could be closed.

Part of the problem is we’re still figuring out how to navigate the mobile world. There are currently fewer regulations for advertising within apps than on TV, which brings a ton of ethical questions into play.

“We hope further research will help us better understand the consequences of digital media advertisement, which hasn’t caught up with the rapid growth of digital media products catered to children,” says Marisa Meyer, research assistant at the University of Michigan Medical School.

Following the study’s findings, child consumer advocacy groups, led by Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood, plan to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

Even if your toddler seems content behind the screen of your iPad, make sure you know what she’s watching. A recent explicit Peppa Pig parody account rattled tons of young viewers, and sadly this scenarios happens more than parents may realize.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.