Parental Advertising Mediation in the Digital Media Context: Focusing on Cultural Nuances and Adaptation

Given the increasing adoption of smartphones and other mobile devices by children, the global digital advertising market is expected to experience significant growth. Advertisers are increasingly exploring new ways to engage children by seamlessly integrating persuasive messages into entertaining media content, making advertising less intrusive and more engaging. Global digital advertising targeting children encompasses influencer marketing, advergames, and mobile advertising. Consequently, a substantial body of literature underscores the critical importance of children’s ability to recognize the intent behind advertising and comprehend how advertising messages impact their attitudes and behaviors. Parents play a pivotal role as socialization agents in enhancing their children’s advertising literacy. Numerous studies have investigated parental mediation of children’s media usage, including both restrictive mediation and active mediation. However, there is relatively limited scholarly attention devoted to parental ‘advertising’ mediation. This chapter introduces existing academic research on parental advertising mediation in the digital context. Additionally, it addresses research gaps and emphasizes the implications of parental advertising mediation, with a focus on cultural adaptation and nuances.