118: Are You Raising Materialistic Kids?

This episode on the topic of materialism concludes our series on the intersection of parenting and money.  Here we talk with Dr. Susanna Opree of Erasmus University Rotterdam, who studies the effect of advertising and commercial media on use, materialism, and well-being.   We discuss how children's understanding of materialism shifts as they age, the extent to which advertising contributes to materialism, and the specific role that parents play in passing on this value.   Other episodes in this series: This episode is the second in a series on the intersection of parenting and money. You can find other episodes in this series: 038: The Opposite of Spoiled 105: How to pass on mental wealth to your child 107: The impact of consumerism on children 112: How to Set up a Play Room 115: Reducing the Impact of Advertising to Children   Jump to highlights 03:01 Introduction to the episode and guest Dr. Suzanna Opree 03:15 Defining materialism: three components 09:32 How materialism links to well-being and life satisfaction 11:53 Life events, divorce, and children turning to possessions 18:32 How children's understanding of brands develops with age 22:32 Why parents remain the biggest influence on a child's materialism 25:06 Conditional rewards and punishments tied to material goods 28:22 Letting children have a say in family purchase decisions 31:07 How peer pressure shapes materialism, informational and normative 42:45 Why materialism peaks in adolescence, and the role of transitions 53:27 Ways to actually reduce materialism, from gratitude to connection   References: Batinga, G.L., de Rezende Pinto, M., Resende, S.P. 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