But they know it's an ad.

Parents, teachers and librarians often worry about how the commercials on TV and the internet are affecting their children, but many companies contend that children recognize ads and know what they do. Obviously the age of the child has a lot to do with how much they understand about advertising, but even middle-grade children are still confused according to research reported in the NY Times Fourth grade children were invited to play a game called "Be a Popstar" on a site sponsored by a cereal manufacturer. Even though a disclaimed appeared at the top of the screen telling kids that the screen was advertising, the majority of children did not notice or pay attention. Children who played the game on a site with the banner or one without it appeared equally oblivious to the sponsor of the site or the intention of selling cereal rather than offering a chance to become a pop star. What does this have to do with libraries? Well, it suggests that a lot more media education is needed--at home, in classrooms and in libraries. We should try to explain to children that games and TV shows and even some books are designed to sell products rather than provide information.It's not that the games or the products are necessarily bad, but everyone ought to be clear about what the inspiration for sites and shows may be. Only by providing the truth to children can we really fulfil our roles as guides to information.