The Ethical and Moral Dimension of Advertising Literacy

In recent years, the widespread popularity of social networks has led to a proliferation of diverse commercial content formats, strategically designed to engage users during their platform usage. Advertisers are actively exploring ways to remain relevant to their target audiences by leveraging technical tools like algorithms and geolocation, as well as the influence of emerging figures such as influencers. This underscores the importance of ensuring that users, especially vulnerable groups like children and adolescents, possess up-to-date advertising literacy. Considering the evolving digital landscape and the emergence of other essential literacies, there has been a renewed focus on advertising literacy. It is increasingly evident that advertising literacy is not merely a cognitive skill; it is multidimensional and must consider moral and ethical aspects. This chapter explores recent proposals addressing the ethical and moral dimensions of advertising literacy, aiming to establish a foundation for the development of strategies tailored to empower young children. These strategies seek to help them leverage the opportunities of the digital world while minimizing associated risks.