Advertisements during football broadcasts littered with adult-themed content

By Staff Writer

Young fans of the NFL were exposed to much more than a football game on Super Bowl Sunday. Several advertisements featured adult content such as sexual innuendo, beer commercials and violent movie trailers.

These racy advertising campaigns are nothing new to football broadcasts. Throughout the season, advertisements that promote sexual-enhancement drugs and alcohol use are scattered all over the broadcasts. A psychology professor at Wake Forest University said that parents of children should not squirm and avoid conversation when these ads appear. Instead, he said that parents should take action and clear up any confusion that kids may have.

For example, if teens are confused about the context of an ad for Viagra or the use of alcohol, it may be an opportune time for parents to discuss these topics. However, if the children are pre-teens, the professor said that it may be wise to change the channel during commercial breaks or mute the television.

The nonprofit group Common Sense Media reviewed 6,000 commercials in 60 NFL games during a recent season. It found that 300 of the ads were for alcohol, approximately 40 percent of the games contained ads for erectile-dysfunction medication.

Children who engage in risky behaviors may benefit from boarding schools, which aim to provide help for troubled teens.