Good for business, bad for children: Food brands use AI to target kids and teens with digital marketing

Phys · 🇨🇳 public China · May 05, 2026 · 393 words · By Sarah Keenihan; Christine Driessen

Public Health Corporate Ethics Digital Regulation

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What to know about Public Health

The article reports on a study published in the journal Appetite, which analyzed marketing industry case studies. The research suggests that food and beverage companies are utilizing AI and sophisticated digital targeting to market unhealthy products to children and adolescents.

Propaganda risk 30%

Claims checked 5

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center100%

Right0%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Good for business, bad for children: Food brands use AI to target kids and teens with digital marketing Sadie Harley scientific editor Andrew Zinin lead editor Whether via ads or influencer collaborations, many of us are exposed to junk food marketing via…

Why it matters

The invisible nature of digital marketing makes it challenging for researchers to identify and track precisely what brands are doing, particularly when marketing is rolled out behind company walls, and delivered to individual devices such as phones.

Common ground

A new study led by nutritionist Christine Driessen (RPHNutr.) has found a way in.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Public Health story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that The new study is published in the journal Appetite, with co-authors from Deakin University, Monash University and the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene?
How does this story connect Public Health with Corporate Ethics over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-05-good-business-bad-children-food.html

analyticsAnalysis

30%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 90%

Minor concerns. Some persuasive language detected, but largely factual.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 5 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 3

check_circle Corroborated 2

info

Claim 1: “The new study is published in the journal Appetite, with co-authors from Deakin University, Monash University and the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the study's existence is confirmed, the specific details regarding the journal 'Appetite' and the specific co-authoring universities (Deakin, Monash, London School of Tropical Medicine) are not explicitly detailed in the provided evidence snippets, although Monash University appears in a general search result.

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web search NEUTRAL — study published in September 2020 in the journal JAMA Network Open.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle…

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web search NEUTRAL — Study at Monash, one of Australia's most prestigious universities.Monash University. blue patterns. Dr Akari in Afghanistan. THE Reputation Rankings 2022.
https://www.monash.edu/

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web search NEUTRAL — “Fast-food consumption by children and teens has increased over the past decade, and fast-food advertising definitely plays a role in that rise,” says Jennifer Harris, Senior Research Advisor for Mark…
https://today.uconn.edu/2021/06/rudd-center-new-study-finds-…

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Claim 2: “Christine Driessen et al, Contemporary digital marketing techniques used in unhealthy food campaigns targeting young people, Appetite (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2025.107989”

CORROBORATED

Three separate web search results confirm the title 'Contemporary digital marketing techniques used in unhealthy food campaigns targeting young people' and the lead author Christine Driessen.

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web search NEUTRAL — Christine Driessen.The digital marketing of unhealthy foods and non-alcoholic beverages has a detrimental impact on children’s eating behaviours, leading to adverse diet-related health outcomes.
https://researchonline.lshtm.ac.uk/id/eprint/4676194/1/Dries…

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web search NEUTRAL — The digital marketing of unhealthy foods and non-alcoholic beverages has a detrimental impact on children's eating behaviours, leading to adverse diet-related health outcomes. To inform the developmen…
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40185242/

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Claim 3: “A new study led by nutritionist Christine Driessen (RPHNutr.) has found... children and adolescents are being targeted by the very latest in sophisticated marketing techniques for unhealthy foods and drinks.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm the existence of a study by Christine Driessen regarding the digital marketing of unhealthy foods and non-alcoholic beverages and its detrimental impact on children's eating behaviors.

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web search NEUTRAL — Take online courses on Study.com that are fun and engaging. Pass exams to earn real college credit. Research schools and degrees to further your education.
https://study.com/

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web search NEUTRAL — Need a Study.com Account? Simple & engaging videos to help you learn Unlimited access to 88,000+ lessons The lowest-cost way to earn college credit
https://study.com/academy/login.html

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web search NEUTRAL — Study.com's collection of test prep courses will help you feel confident on test day and ace your exams. Our on-demand test prep courses cover a wide-range of exams.
https://study.com/academy/course/index.html

info

Claim 4: “The researchers assessed 111 marketing industry "best in practice" case studies via the World Advertising Research Center, including marketing campaigns from Australia, India, China, Europe and U.S.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of general links to ResearchGate, YouTube, and a different journal (ujar20), none of which mention the 111 case studies from the World Advertising Research Center.

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web search NEUTRAL — Access 160+ million publication pages and connect with 25+ million researchers. Join for free and gain visibility by uploading your research.
https://www.researchgate.net/

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web search NEUTRAL — Every so often, product marketing creates such a frenzy it becomes its own cultural moment - think Adidas Stan Smiths, Old Spice and Pokémon Go. The Stanley ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb9IF7wBnus

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web search NEUTRAL — This study advances research in this emerging area by analyzing the global...
https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/ujar20

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Claim 5: “Brands were typically owned by multinational companies, and included soft drink, chocolate, savory snack and milk drink products.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence consists of general definitions of marketing from the American Marketing Association and does not mention the specific brands or product types analyzed in the study.

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web search NEUTRAL — Definition of Marketing Research Marketing research is the function that links the consumer, customer, and public to the marketer through information—information used to identify and define opportunit…
https://www.ama.org/the-definition-of-marketing-what-is-mark…

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web search NEUTRAL — Marketing Strategy What is a marketing strategy? A marketing strategy refers to an organization or person’s plan of action created to sell or advertise a product or service. It is fundamental to the o…
https://www.ama.org/topics/marketing-strategy/

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web search NEUTRAL — Course Overview Marketing is vital to the success of an organization in today’s competitive world. This course introduces marketing, the marketing mix (the Four Ps), the strategic importance of market…
https://www.ama.org/on-demand/an-overview-of-marketing/

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.