The Federal Trade Commission's Report On The Marketing Of Violent Entertainment To Youths: Developing Policy-Tuned Research

In 1999 President Clinton requested that the Federal Trade Commission conduct a study to understand the effects of violent entertainment media on youth in order to provide information to leaders. This was assigned to the FTC regarding a shooting in Littleton Colorado that was linked to the effects of violent entertainment on youth. In 2000, studies showed that a typical American child spent an average of more than 38 hours a week using entertainment media. The study tried to attend to two different questions:

                “Do the motion picture,­ music recording, and electronic game industries promote products with parental warnings or age restrictions in venues where children make up a substantial percentage of the audience?

And

                “Are these advertisements intended to attract children and teenagers?”

All of the things discussed in the study are, in fact, legal. Many studies found a high correlation between exposure to media violence and violent behaviors. All of the discussed mediums had rating and labeling systems, but the music industry was the only one without strict marketing regulations; the distribution is left to the digression of the retailer. There was a recommendation, but it does not appear on the website. The marketing of these mediums was misguided legally. Almost all of the targeted audiences were underage in regards to the designated audience. The children were aware of their violation of the rating system. Interestingly, though most (77%) of the parents were aware of the rating system for recorded music, 66% of parents still purchased music for their children.  The understanding of the system was not the issue; it was the enforcement which is largely left to the retailers. Also, when many more regulations for the rating system and enforcement were suggested, they were shut down by the producers. Because of the First Amendment, it is difficult to regulate the music and movies in methods other than self-regulation.

In the conclusion, the committee discussed the social and ethical boundaries between the targeting and circumvention of marketing groups. How could marketers more finely focus their advertising? Often times the targeted market is not the one that actually purchases the product. Also, they suggested researching the concept of the ratings themselves offering a ‘forbidden fruit’ characteristic to the music. The government’s role will remain controversial in regards to this topic.

This link gives more specific detail to the laws themselves:

http://www.essortment.com/music-industry-business-regulations-control-63957.html