Families trapped by 'compulsive consumerism'

The report, comparing 24 families in the UK, Sweden and Spain, found that materialism has a stronger influence on families in the UK than elsewhere.

Parents also found it harder to set clear boundaries with their children. Family life in the three countries was ‘strikingly different’, it found. ‘In UK homes, parents were obviously struggling to give children the time they so clearly wanted; in Spain and Sweden family time seemed to be part of the fabric of everyday life,’ the report said.

A Unicef report in 2007 ranked the UK at the bottom of a league table of 21 developed countries for children’s well-being.

The research reveals that families in the UK have a complex relationship with consumerism. Parents are committed to their children, but struggle to find enough time to spend with them. This could be due to long working hurs or the need to hold down more than one job to make ends meet. Parents often try and make up for this by buying their children the latest toys, gadgets and clothes.

Although children admitted that they wanted new toys, gadgets and fashionable brands, most of them did not see them as central to their well-being.

Children in all three countries said that their happiness depended on spending time with their family, and having plenty of things to do, especially outdoors.

However, children used consumer goods to help them feel part of a social group, and their parents also felt that by buying their children the latest must-have items they were protecting them from bullying, despite the fact that most parents felt what they were doing was ‘pointless’.

One mother said, ‘Like the Wii… all their wee pals had it and so I bought it and then they don’t look at it. It sits there. It’s like an ornament. It’s all they need it, they need it, they need it. It’s like a novelty for a wee while and then they’re not interested.’

High status brands were more important for children from less affluent backgrounds, which the report suggests could be as a way of ‘masking financial and social insecurities and bolstering self-esteem.’

One British 14-year-old said, ‘No matter how much money they have, people still manage to put up a front like they have money - the way to prove it is like, say they have an ipod...You could live in a dustbin, and as long as you have an ipod, a Blackberry, then you’re accepted. Ok, it’s a bit of an exaggeration but you know what I mean.’

One of the report’s key recommendations is for the Government to follow Sweden’s example and ban advertising during television programmes for under-12s.

It also calls for the Government to insist that local authorities assess the impact of public spending cuts on children so that funding is protected for play facilities and  activities.

David Bull, Unicef UK executive director, said, 'Right now politicians are grappling with the aftermath of the riots and what they say about our society, culture and families. The research findings provide important insights, and it is vital that those in power listen to what children and their families are saying about life in the UK.'

Commenting on the findings, Lucie Russell, director of campaigns at YoungMinds, said, ‘The study rightly highlights the scourge of materialism and all its pervading influence on British children and young people.

'Young people are slaves to status symbols in ways that did not exert the same pressures as in the past. Image is everything, and this was illustrated in the recent riots with the targeting of those shops that stock the desired items. Anyone with children knows this starts young and we as adults are yet to fully take responsibility for this situation and think seriously about what we can do to limit the dangerous influence materialism has on young people.

'The report also makes clear that children need quality time with both parents, the chief providers of attachment and bonding, the safety of clear boundaries that are followed through, and fresh air and exercise. All these things are crucial to the building of wellbeing, social skills and emotional regulation.’