Children are exposed to an astonishing volume of junk food marketing online – averaging 15 to 19 posts per hour, according to new research from Safefood. The study, entitled ‘Our Kids’ Exposure to Unhealthy Food Marketing Online,’ estimates that a child spending just two hours a day on social media encounters approximately 10,950 such advertisements annually. For those with 4.5 hours of daily screen time, that figure surges to over 30,000.
The findings, released , highlight a significant disconnect between parental perceptions and the reality of children’s digital environments. Parents, Safefood reports, are largely unaware of the sheer scale of this exposure, often believing their children are less susceptible to its influence.
The research isn’t simply about quantity. it’s about the type of food being promoted. A staggering 96% of the foods marketed to children in these online campaigns fail to meet the nutritional criteria established by the World Health Organization for marketing to children. This means the vast majority of advertisements are for products high in fat, sugar, and salt, contributing to potentially unhealthy dietary patterns.
The study also reveals a concerning trend in how these messages are delivered. Teenagers, in particular, are highly susceptible to influencer marketing, viewing food-related posts from influencers for an average of 15 seconds longer than traditional paid advertisements. Engagement rates are also significantly higher – 44% of influencer posts receive interaction, compared to just 7.5% of paid ads. This suggests children perceive influencer content as more trustworthy and engaging, making it a particularly effective, and potentially insidious, marketing channel.
“Children don’t identify this as marketing but rather see it as engaging or fun content from someone that they trust,” explained Aileen McGloin, Director of Nutrition at Safefood. “This is a clear example that the child’s interests and interactions online drives the amount of this unhealthy content that they are exposed to.”
The research methodology involved screen capture of 38 children aged 13-17 while they browsed social media, alongside interviews and focus groups with 175 children aged 4-17 and 49 parents in urban and rural areas around Belfast and Galway. Researchers also analyzed the social media campaigns of high-sales food brands and conducted confidential interviews with 15 advertisers, most of whom were senior executives.
The findings echo similar studies conducted in Australia, Canada, and Mexico, suggesting this is a global issue. The study also found that many young people, even older teenagers, struggle to recognize advertising, even when it’s explicitly labelled as such. This is particularly true for influencer and native marketing formats, where advertising is seamlessly integrated into everyday content, blurring the lines between entertainment and commercial intent.
Currently, Ireland lacks specific legislation regulating the targeting of children by unhealthy food marketing online. The industry operates under a voluntary code of conduct, a situation that organizations like the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) are challenging. The IHF points out that while Ireland restricts broadcast advertising of unhealthy foods to under-18s on television until 6pm, children are increasingly active on digital media, primarily through smartphones.
The IHF is advocating for regulation of digital marketing to directly target children with junk-food adverts. The current voluntary approach appears insufficient to address the scale of the problem, as evidenced by Safefood’s findings.
The implications extend beyond immediate dietary choices. Safefood Chief Executive Joanne Uí Chrualaoich stated that the research “shows for the first time on the island of Ireland the volume of unhealthy food marketing children see online.” She added, “These findings are concerning, as this daily influence is undermining efforts to foster healthy eating habits and poses a serious threat to children’s long-term health.”
The study underscores the need for a re-evaluation of current regulatory frameworks and a more robust approach to protecting children from the pervasive influence of unhealthy food marketing in the digital age. The reliance on voluntary codes of conduct appears increasingly inadequate in the face of sophisticated marketing techniques and the sheer volume of exposure children face daily.
