Year 10 Research Project on Teenagers’ Exposure to Gambling Advertising 

In a time when technology has seamlessly become a part of the fabric of young people’s lives, serious concerns about the influence of advertising on their choices and behaviours have arisen. This Research Project on Teenagers’ Exposure to Gambling Advertising is a collaborative effort that aims to shed light on the intricate ways gambling advertisements target adolescents and provide evidence to advocate for policy change. This joint venture between Year 10 students from various Shore House groups, Northern Sydney Area Local Health, Gamble Aware, and North Sydney Girls High School, is a promising move toward protecting the mental wellbeing of our boys. 

The increasing prevalence of gambling advertisements targeting teenagers has raised red flags among researchers, educators, and health professionals. These advertisements often seep into young people’s lives through video games, social media platforms, and sports broadcasts. The project underscores that the normalisation of gambling ads, coupled with their strategic placement in the digital realm, can lead to a concerning upswing in problem gambling among youth. A chilling statistic from the NSW Youth Gambling Study (2020) reveals that a substantial 40% of problem gamblers in New South Wales are under the age of 25, underscoring the urgency of addressing this issue. 

The research project that Year 10 boys are now undertaking unfolds in three carefully crafted stages, each designed to provide a comprehensive view of how gambling advertising infiltrates the lives of young people and arms them with the means to advocate for change. 

Stage 1: Building Awareness and Understanding. The project commenced with a one-hour workshop on Monday August 14, at Shore. During this session, the Year 10 students were acquainted with various facets of gambling advertising’s impact on their lives. The workshop delved into different forms of gambling, including simulated gambling in video games. It also highlighted the strategies employed by gambling companies on platforms like TEMU and Twitch to subtly advertise their products. Additionally, the students were made aware of the unsettling normalisation of gambling advertisements within sports broadcasts.  

Stage 2: Personal Exploration and Documentation. In this phase, beginning this week, the boys will be actively involved in gathering real-time data for seven days. Using their personal devices, they will capture screenshots of any gambling advertisements encountered on platforms like Snapchat and Instagram over the course of a week. This stage not only empowers the students with an understanding of how these advertisements are pervasive in their lives but also provides tangible evidence for the research project’s advocacy efforts. 

Stage 3: Advocacy and Empowerment. The final stage of the project focuses on channelling the insights gained from the previous stages into actionable change. The students will partake in forming a presentation where they will present their findings and experiences. The goal is to compile their observations into a compelling photo presentation, aiming to influence policymakers and government bodies. By employing the principles of action research, the students will gain insights into driving change, understanding policy dynamics, and actively participating in advocating for improved regulations around gambling advertisements.  

To complete the project, the students will prepare a presentation to share their findings during Future Ready (formerly Wellbeing Week) with their peers in Year 10, helping to build awareness of these issues and their experiences across the year group. By initiating conversations and encouraging open dialogues, hopefully it will help the boys to be more responsible and help them make good decisions. 

Thank you to the students for stepping in as advocates, armed with research and a collective voice, to bring about some policy change in this important area.  

Mr D Champion
Acting Deputy Head Pastoral Care