Quote:
Originally Posted by AcGold
try learning more about adolescent development and advertisements. Completely blaming the parents for what is clearly a societal issue is uninformed.
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I definitely understand the effects of child advertising, societal pressure and the nag factor, but it doesn't change the fact that the parents are the ones making the choice to buy or not buy a product.
Example: I grew up with a very well off family. We had many privialges for which I am grateful. We had money for cars at 16, video games, and any convenience you can think, but were spoiled by none of that. My parents provided us with top-end sports gear (once we were old enough and playing high enough levels it was warrented, as we were growing it was hand-me-downs and used gear), awesome outdoor trips and things of that nature, but if we wanted specialty items like games or cars or phones or even junk food, we had to buy it ourselves. There were certainly times that I was jealous of the kids with Playstations and convertables at 16, but being older now and looking back I am so glad my parents didn't give in to that type of pressure to raise us in a more grounded way. They instilled working for our own success and earning things, along with an appreciation for physical activity/competition and living in the outdoors.
Now I can see many of the people I grew up around with the opposite scenario (much wealth and much spoiling) and how entitled and spoiled they have become. I firmly beleive if my parents had raised us in an environment like that, which they very well could have, I would be a different person today.
If you give in to your kids whining for a new toy all the time, then for the new video game, then for the new phone, then for the new car how do you think they will turn out? Whiners? Seems reasonable.