Obesity and food‐related content aimed at children on YouTube

Abstract

This article explores the intersection between advertising by food brands, practices on YouTube and child obesity. The objective is to analyse the communication features of marketing content by food brands targeting children on YouTube. The existing literature confirming the relationship between exposure to food advertising and actual consumption prioritizes television while largely ignoring the digital world. When children connect to the internet, watching videos on YouTube is their most common activity. We analyse and compare the advertising by food brands on regular TV networks (traditional advertising) with videos by child YouTubers (influencing) in Spanish. An exploratory study is conducted by means of a content analysis of 304 videos, with 12 variables grouped into 2 categories: prevalence of ultra‐processed vs healthy products in advertising, and marketing style. The results reveal marked differences in practices between brands and child YouTubers, along with the rise of hybrid media forms. The conclusions highlight the absence of advertising warnings in content targeting children. Changes are recommended to increase the responsibility assumed by these media spaces that exert such a huge influence on an audience as vulnerable as children.