Marketing serves to persuade consumers to purchase a particular product or use a service. The advertising often targets a specific group, such as senior citizens or young, single people. Companies selling toys and other youth-oriented products often use psychological tactics to manipulate children into wanting the product. While often effective, marketing to young children comes with disadvantages. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a child under eight lacks the ability to understand that the advertisements are solely there to sell them on a product. Young children are more likely to believe anything they hear or see in advertising because they aren't cognitively able to realize the selling purpose. Children don't understand that advertising claims are sometimes embellished or emphasized just to make the sale.
