I Want It Now
Navigating Childhood in a Materialistic World
by Donna Bee-Gates (Palgrave, $24.95)
It should surprise few that in our materialistic society, children adopt the same negative behaviors that their parents exhibit. Donna Bee-Gates, a faculty member in child development at San Jose State University, argues that materialists are made, not born.
1. “Seemingly overnight youngsters morph from carefree non-materialists to savvy consumers plotting their next acquisition.”
2. While children are bombarded with tales of objects that can transform–magic beans or enchanted shoes–adults also fall prey to this fallacy when they buy beauty creams or fancy cars.
3. “Parents who display warmth and acceptance toward their children . . . and who set and follow through on limits rear less materialistic children.”
4. Bee-Gates uses the term “relative deprivation”: feeling disadvantaged when comparing oneself to those with more possessions.
5. Working with other parents helps combat materialism. “Successfully confronting the `I want it nows’ really does take a village.”
