When is a TV ad too scary for kids? Children’s media watchdog’s new call for advertising overhaul

Some children are being left so terrified by the ads they see on TV or billboards they are experiencing nightmares, wetting their beds and are afraid to be alone, says the nation’s peak children’s media watchdog.

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Australia’s peak children’s media watchdog has again hit out at the nation’s advertising industry, accusing it of failing to take into account the impact scary ads can have on kids.

Some youngsters are being left so terrified they are experiencing nightmares, wetting their beds and are afraid to be alone at night, according to the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM).

The council argues horror movies shouldn’t be allowed to be promoted in public spaces such as main road billboards, bus shelters or on the sides of public transport.

The Adelaide-based not-for-profit also wants frightening ads banned from boundary screens at sporting events and for frightening trailers not to be aired on free-to-air TV.

“Parents are rightly complaining that they cannot protect their children from such images,” president Professor Elizabeth Handsley said.

“The scary images used are causing children much distress and can cause ongoing harm … the distress is real and so are the consequences.”

Prof Handsley said research showed 30 per cent of students reported ongoing fear impacts from early exposure to frightening images.

Child psychologist Glenn Cupit, who provides advice to ACCM, agreed the impacts of exposing young children to such promotions could be significant.

“Ongoing issues from exposure to alarming images can include continuous nightmares, bed-wetting and fatigue due to disturbed sleep,” Dr Cupit said.

“(This) can interrupt children’s education and daily life.

“Children who have been distressed by a frightening image will continue picturing the image in their head.

“At bedtime, when they are not distracted by other things, this can lead to a fear of going to bed, a fear of not wanting to be alone and nightmares.”

The latest criticisms have been sparked by the release of the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) Code of Ethics, with ACCM claiming the industry guidelines fail to effectively prevent children from being exposed to “scary and harmful ads”.

The council is also lobbying for an overhaul of classification processes to close a “loophole” allowing for the trailers of violent and horror movies to be advertised on free-to-air television.

Last year the ACCM lodged a complaint with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) after a 30-second promotional trailer for the Marvel comic-inspired film Venom was aired during the 2018 AFL Grand Final.

While the authority agreed the clip “exceeded the PG criteria” it did not breach any code or regulation because the trailer had been classified PG by FreeTV’s commercial advisory arm, Commercials Acceptance Division (CAD).

The AANA was contacted for comment.