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Has 'Affluenza' Virus
Infected Your Kids?
Share Save Spend | by Nathan Dungan
Do you remember the E.F. Hutton commercial from the late '70s and early '80s? It
had a very memorable catch phrase, "When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen."
A similar phrase could be used to describe the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
When it publishes a book or study on children, a lot of people pay attention.
And so it was with great interest that I learned of a new book from the AAP. The
book is called About Children, and the Academy describes it as a "documentary
in print offering a multifaceted portrait of today's children."
AAP goes on to say that About Children "provides the reader with crucial information
for the 21st century through an astute look at the most critical aspects of children's
lives in the United States." The book discusses 46 child well-being topics and
is written by renowned authorities in their field.
Any guesses as to the lead chapter in this significant work?
Chapter One: Childhood Affluenza. Not influenza as in one of those scary flu viruses,
but affluenza as in the hyper-consumer "virus" that is overtaking young
people in America.
John De Graaf, best-selling author, noted documentary filmmaker and author of chapter
one in About Children, describes childhood affluenza as follows:
´ A fever for shopping and spending
´ Swollen expectations about material needs
´ Decreasing immunity to the assaults of advertisers
´ Self-concepts defined by brands of clothing
´ A rash of debt by the time they leave college
De Graaf does not mince words as he describes how our society exploits children for
financial gain.
"Addicting kids to spending is a multibillion-dollar-a-year industry,"
De Graaf said. "Marketers continually seek ways to break through the clutter
of other ads and make sure kids see theirs."
The impact of Childhood Affluenza is significant. One by-product is the escalating
debt problems for young adults. In fact, one study said that young people under the
age of 25 are now the fastest-growing age group filing for bankruptcy in America.
Additionally, college administrators now rank consumer debt as one of the leading
causes for students dropping out of school.
While reversing this trend is not going to be easy, it helps enormously that the
AAP has taken a stand by featuring the issue in their newest book. For more info,
go to aap.org. Search word: About Children.
Here are a few tips to cure childhood affluenza from John De Graaf's chapter:
´ Turn off the TV or sharply limit children's viewing. One study found that 90 percent
of kids who went without TV for 30 days reported they were happier, got more sleep,
spent more time talking with their parents, and did better in school.
´ Help keep advertising out of schools. In communities like Seattle, the school board
voted to phase out advertising in all their schools.
´ Let children figure out for themselves what activities they can do to relieve boredom.
There is nothing like time to spur on the creative side of the brain. Remember, there
was a time when video games occupied none of a child's day.
Do you recognize the symptoms for childhood affluenza in your home? If so, think
about what steps you can take today to eliminate the "virus." Consider
asking your friends and neighbors what they are doing to deal with this issue. This
question can be used as a springboard for additional conversations with family and
friends.
Recognizing that children are often unable to separate facts from commercial appeals,
the province of Quebec and several European countries prohibit television advertising
to children under the age of 12.
Nathan Dungan is a Minneapolis-based author, award-winning speaker and national
expert on family finances and the effects of mass marketing on young people. A top-performing
financial advisor and vice president of marketing for a Fortune 500 financial services
company, he founded Share-Save-Spend LLC, an organization that helps people of all
ages develop and maintain healthy financial habits. His book, Prodigal Sons &
Material Girls: How Not to Be Your Child's ATM, was released in 2003 by publisher
John Wiley & Sons. Nathan is vice-chair of both the National Institute on Media
and the Family and Minneapolis-based YouthCARE boards. Visit www.sharesavespend.com,
e-mail nathan@sharesavespend.com
Copyright © 2005 Nathan Dungan. All rights reserved. |
| June 2005 |
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