Final answer:
The average U.S. child watches about 20,000 commercials a year due to the high volume of television consumption and the presence of numerous commercial television stations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The average U.S. child watches about 20,000 commercials a year. Considering that people watch an average of thirty-four hours of television weekly and that the United States has over one thousand commercial television stations, it's not surprising that children are exposed to a significant number of commercials. With nearly every U.S. household possessing a television and the immense amount of television watched annually, companies have a large audience to target with their advertising. This creates an environment where children can end up seeing a high volume of ads throughout the year. In our visual society, it's estimated that the average person sees about 5,000 advertisements a day, hence being critical and analytical about this imagery is essential.