2020年高考英语外刊时事命题阅读理解：儿童成为垃圾食品网上广告的目标群体 ONLINE JUNK-FOOD ADS 'TARGETING CHILDREN'

ONLINE JUNK-FOOD ADS 'TARGETING CHILDREN' 儿童成为网上垃圾食品广告的目标群体 From spreading fake news to fuelling online bullying, social media is under increasing fire. The question of how to develop its potential while limiting its negative effects is one of the biggest of our age. And its effects on children’s physical and mental health is perhaps one of the greatest challenges. Yet among all this debate about how social media has changed our lives, children’s exposure to advertising on social media is rarely discussed. Advertising to children is widely regarded as ethically (道德上) problematic. Young children cannot distinguish between advertising and editorial, or entertainment, content. Older children, even if they can understand the selling intention behind advertising, are often still subject to its unconscious influence. Junk food advertising, which is linked to weight gain and obesity (过度肥胖), sharpens this ethical issue. Governments have a duty to protect the best interests of children. Yet ve