Research has suggested that food advertisements on the video streaming service, Switch, are leading to food cravings and purchases from viewers. Different from other streaming services, Twitch allows viewers to converse while sharing a live video feed.
Researchers from Penn State and Dartmouth College discovered that adolescents and young adults are particularly susceptible to advertisements for nutrient-poor foods such as sweets and energy drinks on the platform. While the research was a single study, it provided insight into Twitch's 140 million monthly active users.
"Advertising is pervasive for a reason: It works, and companies understand how it works. People tend to understand that children are susceptible to advertising messages, but we often like to think that once we grow up and start making our own decisions, adults are immune to advertising's power. But advertising didn't grow to be a $100 billion-plus industry in the United States because it is ineffective. Advertising works on us, and on a subset of us, it is especially effective," said Travis Masterson, Professor and Co-Author of the research.
