Parenting experts call for e-wish list ban

The institute's report  'Business thinks family'  highlights the ways advertisers target children online. It says "wish lists" contravene advertising codes which say ads should not imply the products they are promoting are within the reach of every family budget.

The organisation is also calling for advertising on web sites used by children, including games,  to be clearly marked as promotional material.

Dr Agnes Nairn, author of the report, said: "New ways of targeting children using websites are appearing all the time. But this brings difficulties for parents. The borderless nature of the internet means that regulation isn't enough to stop companies targeting children - businesses need to lead from the front."

The report points to advertising policies in other countries as an example for the UK to follow, such as "ad alerts" in the US which explain what the advertisement means. It also cites France as an example, where some companies pledge to spend half of their advertising budget on promoting positive images.   

The Institute's recommendations come a week after a report produced by the Advertising Association claimed that there had been a decline in materialism, an improvement of relations with family members and an increase in self-esteem amongst young people in the last 15 years.

Mary MacLeod, chief executive of the Family and Parenting Institute said: "Parents tell us they are constantly put under pressure by their own children for the latest must have toy or computer games. This can cause family arguments as parents tell their kids that they can't have everything they see advertised on TV or online."