How To Limit Materialism In Children
“Exponential rise of family incomes, dual career couples and single – child families have impacted the consumption behaviour of children”
Mails have replaced playgrounds and play stations have taken the place of sports accessories. The selling industry targets children more, as they are potentially more liable to convince adults into buying things, sometimes the not so useful products too. Thus, times have changed and so has the behavior of children today.
Targeting The Young Consumers
Marketers identity children as prospective buyers of products like chocolates, confectionery, soft drinks, snacks, apparels, footwear and even holiday packages. The young consumers have grabbed the attention of marketers all over the world.
When children see the advertisements of various tempting products, they convince, blackmail and at many times, fight to get what they visually like because they are not able to take rational decisions and become victims of consumerism. Thus, irrational purchases, parent-child conflicts and a materialistic attitude are a part of households now.
Materialism And Behavioural Problems
These attitudes of children deride social values, interpersonal relations, behaviours, physical and mental health. Hence, ills an issue of concern today as many children have behavioural problems and they seem very selfish. There is too much social media interactions and lone activities and sharing and tolerance are the least learnt virtues.
Sedentary Lifestyle Is Promoted
Children spend most of their time indoors and become social recluses. It is seen that the younger generation has developed a fascination for television and gaming and is slowly adopting a sedentary lifestyle. They munch on high calorie foods while watching television and lose a track of the quantity that they are consuming. Due to this, they are vulnerable to obesity, diabetes, stroke and cancer too, because of physical inactivity and a craving for foods high in salt and sugar.
Risk Of Diseases
Hyperinsulinemia, hypertension, and dyslipidemia are diseases reported as a threat to the younger Indian generation – they are seen as shapeless and moody due to the presence of toxins in the body, because physical exercises is not a regular routine in the children’s lives these days.
Standard Of Living And Changes In Lifestyle
After globalization and liberalization, social demographic changes have occurred in the urban Indian middle class society. The encroachment of global culture has resulted in massive changes in the lifestyle of people. Exponential rise of family incomes, dual career couples and single child families have impacted the consumption behaviour of children as they have grown more mature than their chronological age with enhanced cognition compared to children of yesteryears.
The standards of living is high and demands are increasing. However, materialism in children should be controlled at the right age, as it could lead to personality flaws and loneliness. Thus, here are some tips for parents to follow while bringing up their children.
Tips For Parents To Control Materialism
- Children learn by watching. If they see their parents not valuing money, they follow their parent’s footsteps. Set an example of saving money and making optimum use of available resources. Piggy banks can be introduced to kids and saving food, water and electricity can be promoted. This kind of good habits learned in childhood will help them in the future too.
- It is very natural for kids to ask for costly good looking products and branded Items without knowing the price and the utility of them. The most important thing, is to say no to things which are not needed and the items which have cheaper and cost effective options. Don’t fall prey to their innocent faces and their blackmailing with tears. The lessons learnt during childhood prove beneficial for the child throughout their life.
- Be careful about what your child is eating. Have rules set for eating outside food and buying things. Connect it to some good days and achievements. Don’t let junk food take place of home food, on a regular basis and don’t let shopping become a routine.
- Children should be suggested to have conversations at the dinner table and not watch TV while having dinner. Social media makes kids unaware of their surroundings and takes them to a virtual world. Make it imperative to discuss their day and participate in family talks and plans.
- Don’t force thoughts on your children but make them capable of understanding the difference between good bad, required-not required, worth it-not worth it, positive negative etc. The guidance and teaching you preach to your children will help them shape their life and they will retain these moral values while growing up, resulting in becoming good human beings.