Whether scrolling through TikTok, watching YouTube videos, or binge-watching your favorite TV show, you probably see a lot of ads for junk food.
There’s a reason for that. Food and beverage companies spent $13.4 billion
in 2017 on advertising in the United States, according to the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University of Connecticut. And about 80 percent of those ads were for fast food, sugary drinks, candy, and unhealthy snacks.
Teens and younger children are the target audience for a lot of those ads, according to the Rudd Center. Young people in the U.S. see about 10 food-related TV ads per day. And 70 percent of American teens say they have liked, shared, or followed food and beverage brands on social media.
Why do junk food makers try to win over young people? Because, experts say, they’re trying to build brand loyalty. The earlier they get you eating their products, the more devoted a customer you’ll be throughout your life—and that’s good for the companies’ bottom lines.
“Young people are much more impressionable,” Toop says, “and they’re much more targetable with their phones.”