It became known how mobile apps manipulate children.
Researchers from the University of Michigan (USA) found out exactly how mobile apps manipulate our children. They conducted a study and were able to convincingly prove that even harmless children's apps for smartphones are able to impose on the child beliefs and attitudes that he had never had.
The most dangerous age in terms of high suggestibility is up to 5 years inclusive. Such children, according to the results of the study, for the most part become victims of manipulation. Older children and adolescents are less suggestible, but sometimes there are guys among them who "sit down" on the tricks of internet marketers.
By manipulation, Michigan scientists imply imposed ideas about the irrepressible desire to have certain advertised goods.
During the experiment, 135 children's educational programs for smartphones and tablets were analyzed. This list includes paid tutorials and free publicly available applications.
Initially, their vocation was - entertain and develop kids, teach them to read, account, logic.
A group of test children played in the application for two hours a day. Two weeks later, child psychologists examined all of them, an electroencephalogram of the brain was performed for all children, and hypnologist psychiatrists specializing in deep-seated suggestions worked with each of them.
It turned out that 95% of children have developed desires that were imposed on them from outside. 97% of subjects were identified. initial violations of worldview and psyche due to constantly pop-up advertising windows, in most cases this was manifested by increased anxiety and irritability.
Marketers showed them certain goods several times in a row for each session of the game, as a result, a substitution of values occurred - the child began to want not what he had previously, but what they showed in the application.
The author of the study, Jenny Radeski, stated with confidence that all educational applications for children under 5 years old are actually do not pursue goals to train and develop baby They are created for the sole purpose - to enrich certain companies that advertise in applications.
The results of the study were sent to leading developers and suppliers of children's applications with a request to revise the advertising policy for the smallest. If this is not done now, according to Radeska, then very soon we will get a whole generation of people who cannot understand their own desires, make their own choices, people who will be so easily suggestible that they will be very easy to manipulate.
