GETTING new things can make children feel better — but not for very long. Research suggests that an emphasis on money and material goods during childhood can shape our materialistic values as adults. Though kids need to understand where money comes from and how you earn it, the belief that acquiring more stuff is the key to happiness can be harmful to kids’ development. “We gravitate to material things because it gives us this boost of happiness,” says Lan Nguyen Chaplin, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “But we’re caught in this cycle of thinking, ‘If I could just have that toy or that shirt, I’d be happier.’” Youth materialism is strongly associated with low self-esteem, as well as depression, anxiety, decreased motivation, and selfish behaviors. Similarly, materialistic adults tend to be more insecure, less generous, and report lower subjective well-being. Researchers suggest that this relationship is circular. In other words, feelings of low self-esteem may fuel the desire for material goods that we think will make us happy and symbolize success. But when those goods fail to live up to our expectations, we feel even more dissatisfied, and the pattern of wanting and buying continues. In fact, neuroimaging research suggests that shopping can activate our brains’ reward systems and release the feel-good chemical dopamine-but these effects are only temporary. Dopamine is also associated with learning; when something makes us feel good, we’re more likely to repeat the behavior. Young people’s developing brains may actually be more sensitive to these rewards. For example, the nucleus accumbens, known as the brain’s pleasure center, shows peak activity during adolescence. The good news: Parents can counteract some of the materialistic messaging that children receive from peers and marketers. “The secret here lies in spending time with your kids, communicating with them, and fostering a positive sense of self,” Chaplin says. Avoid using material goods as punishment and reward. Talk about advertising. Commercials often suggest that possessions are directly related to happiness, beauty and success. “Kids don’t even realize what an advertisement is when they’re young — they just see something and they think it’s great,” says Marsha Richins, professor of marketing at the University of Missouri. Studies have found that forewarning kids about manipulative advertising content can increase their skepticism and reduce their desire for the product. Chaplin says that parents can help them by fact-checking claims and showing them how to think critically about products. Focus on building self-esteem. Instead of focusing on material goods as markers of success, help kids focus on building what Richins calls “intangible resources.” Encourage them to develop friendships and pursue interests that boost their self-esteem without relying on material goods. Talk to kids about wants versus needs. Help children understand the value of products, and by extension, how to prioritize spending, Chaplin says. For instance, when a child asks for something, she recommends opening up a conversation about wants and needs — why what they want is unique, how much it costs, and how much of their own money they would need to save to get it. Kids usually end up seeing more value in saving up for something they really want. Invest in experiences and help kids remember them. As children get older, their memory and recall get better, and they’re able to handle abstract information. That’s when they learn to appreciate experiences better. “They understand that people don’t really like to have conversations about your newest sneakers, but they want to hear about what you did this weekend,” Chaplin explains.(SD-Agencies) | 