These effects can be applied to young people, including those who are underage and have no experience with alcohol consumption. The forms of mass media include television, internet and advergames, which is accessible and viewed by young people daily. Alcohol advertisement have incorporated various persuasive techniques to increase the desirability of the product through attractive features and people, as well as emphasise the positive effects of drinking whilst ignoring the negative effects. Which increases the likeability of people buying the alcohol, which includes the younger generation who don’t have a lot of knowledge on drinking responsibly. According to Anderson the exposure to alcohol advertising not only increases the drinking behaviour of people but would even tempt a non- drinker to drink through the use of the persuasion techniques (Anderson et al, 2009). The effects of alcohol advertising is that it persuades people to go against their normal drinking behaviour in a way that they tend to drink beyond their limit, as they purchase and consume more alcohol after viewing the advertises. This can have a heavy effect on young people as many are new to drinking, after viewing advertisements that star good looking people having the ‘time of their lives’ whilst excessively drinking, there will be heighten expectations towards drinking which …show more content…
Media literacy is the study of analysis and awareness of the messages produced by media that influence the choices of the viewer consciously and unconsciously. As young people have not fully matured to the age of being able to process and analyse the messages that they are receiving, they are highly likely to be influenced by the persuasive techniques used in alcohol advisements. This makes young people more vulnerable to view alcohol consumption as a normality without being educated about the risks which could lead to unhealthy behaviours and attitudes towards alcohol. Media literacy in relation to alcohol advertising shows studies that through educating children on the media messages of the advertising will decrease the underage drinking and future negative effects of the advertising. According Austin and Johnson, researchers found through an experimental study involving the education of third graders on the messages on alcohol increased understanding on alcohol and its social norms (Austin & Johnson, 1997). The study of media literacy acknowledges the effects alcohol advertising can have on young people and encourages education on the messages produced by the media to prevent harmful effects of