Influence of television advertising on adolescents in China: an urban‐rural comparison

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to examine the cultivation effects of television advertising viewing on the perceived affluence in society and the materialistic value orientations among adolescents in urban and rural China. Design/methodology/approach -The paper shows that a survey of 646 adolescents aged 11 to 17, in Guangzhou City, and in a rural county of Henan Province, was conducted in 2006. Constructs were measured using established scales.Findings -Television advertising viewing demonstrated first-and second-order cultivation effects among urban as well as rural respondents. Heavy television advertising viewers were more likely to have a higher perceived affluence than light television advertising viewers. Heavy television advertising viewers were also more materialistic than light television advertising viewers. When television-advertising viewing was controlled, urban respondents had a higher perceived affluence, while rural respondents had a higher level of materialism.Research limitations/implications -Students in grades 7 and 8 were examined only. A convenient sampling method was adopted. The city selected for the study is highly advanced in terms of economical and advertising development compared with most other Chinese cities.Practical implications -Rural adolescents did not hold strong beliefs about prevalence of affluence in society. Popularity appeal may not be a fruitful marketing communication strategy for durable goods for them. Different marketing communication strategies should be adopted for the urban and rural adolescents as target audience.Originality/value -The paper is a pioneer work on the study of consumption values of adolescents in urban and rural China.

A World beyond Family: How External Factors Impact the Level of Materialism in Children

“…Children in low‐income households are reported to be more materialistic than those in higher‐income families (Chan and Cai ; Goldberg et al ). This counterintuitive finding is explained because children who lack material resources value material possessions and wealth more than children who already have them.…”

“…Some studies performed with teenagers find a positive relationship (Churchill and Moschis ) or no significant relation (Chan, Zhang, and Wang ). Greater exposure to TV ads is usually linked to more materialism (Buijzen and Valkenburg , ; Chan and Cai ; Moschis and Moore ), although La Ferle and Chan () found no link.…”

“…Along with children's involvement in consumer society, children's materialism (or a tendency to value material possessions as a path to happiness) has become a research area for many scholars. Over the last 35 years, a stream of research has explored the links between children's materialism and several other factors, such as age (Chan ; Chaplin and John ; Flouri ; Goldberg et al ), self‐esteem (Chaplin and John , ), parents' materialism (Chaplin and Lowrey ; Flouri ; Goldberg et al ), family income (Chan and Cai ; Goldberg et al ), family disruption (Burroughs and Rindfleisch ; Roberts, Manolis, and Tanner ), media exposure (Buijzen and Valkenburg , ; Churchill and Moschis ; Moschis and Moore ), and the influence of peers (Achenreiner ; Chan and Prendergast ; Flouri ) or media celebrities (Clark, Martin, and Bush ; La Ferle and Chan ). Knowledge of the factors linked to children's (and adolescents') materialism has advanced by leaps and bounds over the past 40 years, as has understanding of the interactions and relations among variables, although interpretations often vary.…”

The relationship between new media exposure and fast food consumption among Chinese children and adolescents in school: a rural–urban comparison

“…In the long run, rural residents may try to imitate urban behaviors and experience those that they can afford, with potentially negative health outcomes. Chan and Cai reported that rural residents are disturbed that they are unable to afford the lifestyle of urban residents (24), and at the same time they admire affluent people. Studies on traditional media suggest that attitudes and behaviors towards advertising vary across these two groups.…”

Examining materialistic values of university students in thailand

“…Moreover, people who feel inadequate in terms of personal and professional competencies try to compensate insecurity with a high-status automobile (Rucker & Galinsky, 2008;Sivanathan & Pettit, 2010). Chan and Cai (2009) found that individuals growing up in families where the parents lack financial stability would become more materialistic than those who are from families where the parents are more financially secure. Additionally, the study of Flouri (2004) revealed that teenagers from poorer socioeconomic status with parents who are not as well educated or engaged in labor work and with a lower income are more materialistic than teenagers from families with better socioeconomic status.…”