U of M News Wire
November 29, 2007

U of M Researcher finds materialism in children and adolescents linked to self-esteem

By Rebecca Monro
U of M News Wire

Peer pressure, targeted marketing campaigns and bad parenting have all been blamed for increasing materialism in children. Until now, there has been little evidence showing when this drive for material goods emerges in kids and what really causes it. In one of the first studies to focus on the development of materialism among children, Deborah Roedder John, a professor of marketing at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, reveals that a young person's level of materialism is directly connected to their self-esteem.
 
In her recent paper “Growing up in a Material World: Age Differences in Materialism in Children and Adolescents,” in the December 2007 issue of the Journal of Consumer Research, John and co-author Lan Nguyen Chaplin, assistant professor of marketing at the University of Illinois and Carlson alum, report the results of two studies conducted with children in three age groups. In the first study, they found that materialism increases from middle childhood (8 and 9 years old) to early adolescence (12 and 13 years old) but then declines by the end of high school (16 to18 years old). This mirrors patterns in self-esteem, which instead decreases in early adolescence but increases in late adolescence.
 
“The level of materialism in teens is directly driven by self-esteem,” said John. “When self-esteem drops as children enter adolescence, materialism peaks. Then by late adolescence, when self-esteem rebounds, their materialism drops.”
 
In a second study, John and Chaplin boosted self-esteem by giving children positive information about peer acceptance. Children were given paper plates with positive descriptors about them, such as smart and fun, which were provided by their peers in a summer camp setting. This seemingly small gesture drastically reduced the high levels of materialism found among 12- to13-year-olds and the moderate levels of materialism found among 16- to 18-year-olds.
 
“Particularly relevant,” said John, “is the fact that by simply increasing self-esteem in teens, we see a decreased focus on material goods that parallels that of young children. While peers and marketing can certainly influence teens, materialism is directly connected to self-esteem.”
 
For parents interested in instilling positive values in their children and teens, the message is clear: encouraging a sense of self-worth among young people can reduce the emphasis on material goods. In other words, more self-esteem, fewer $150 athletic shoes and $250 purses.
 
More information on professor John and her work can be found at carlsonschool.umn.edu/marketinginstitute/djohn

 
----------

 
University of Minnesota to make it easier for parents of Twin Cities’ campus students to take online class focused on student alcohol use

By Patty Mattern
U of M News Wire

With tragic alcohol-related deaths of college students in the news and more reports of high-risk drinking, the University of Minnesota is now going to make it easier than ever for parents of its students to take an online class aimed at decreasing high-risk drinking behaviors among students.
 
The course, “Seminar for Parents: Alcohol Use on Campus,” was originally targeted to parents of freshmen when first introduced about two years ago, but it is now suggested for parents of all University of Minnesota, Twin Cities’ students, said Marjorie Savage, University of Minnesota Parent Program coordinator.
 
One of the largest challenges facing all of higher education today is alcohol misuse and abuse, so universities must try many different approaches to reduce high-risk drinking, Savage said. The U of M was the first university in the nation to offer an online class to parents regarding student life. In fact, many colleges and universities including Georgia Tech and North Carolina State are turning to the U of M to help create a course that would be specific to their campus.
 
“This class gives us one more way to reach students and that is through their parents,” Savage said.
 
Today’s parents of college students are much more involved in their child's life compared with a generation ago, so offering this course to parents is important, Savage said.
 
“While we know that parents cannot monitor a student's drinking on a regular basis, research shows that parents continue to influence their child's behavior during the college years,” Savage said.
 
Parents do have an impact, Savage said.
 
“As the course says, when students perceive that parents know what they are doing and that their parents disapprove of heavy drinking, students are less likely to binge drink,” Savage said.
 
Parents can take the online course at their convenience.
 
“The class is designed to help parents understand realistically what the college drinking scene is like, why students choose to drink or not to drink, what resources are available on the U of M campus, and how they can talk with and support their student in making decisions about drinking,” Savage said.
 
The course is presented through WebCT, the online course format that students use for some of their classes. The alcohol use class was developed by Savage in conjunction with U of M family social science professor Jodi Dworkin, who specializes in youth development.
 
“This collaboration allows us to draw on the research and theory of an academic department and apply that insight to the real-life experiences of the parents of our students,” Savage said.
 
Currently the class is only available to parents of U of M, Twin Cities’ students. However, the university is developing a course that gives more general data and resources, which the U will be offering for individual parents to order and take online.
 
To access the course, U of M, Twin Cities’ parents should follow these steps:
 
Step 1: Go to this Web site to begin the log-in process:
 
http://projects.education.umn.edu/parentseminar/

Step 2: Follow instructions on the Web page. When asked for an Internet ID and password, use the following:
 
Internet ID: mnparent
Password: AlcoholSeminar1
(the password is case sensitive, and the last character is number 1)
 
The course list should provide a link to Parent Program First Year Seminar for Parents - Alcohol Use on Campus .
 
Step 3: When the course screen comes up, link to “Getting Started” and proceed at your own pace.
 
Course information is specific to the U of M, Twin Cities’ campus and is made available through the College of Education and Human Development, the Office for Student Affairs, and the University of Minnesota Extension Service.
 
 
----------
 
 
Growing Concerns
A parenting question-and-answer column with Dr. Martha Erickson of the University of Minnesota

Question: I've recently started doing child care in my home for several young children and I’ve observed some sexual curiosity that I’m not quite sure what to make of. Can you provide some guidelines about what is normal for young children and any problem signs that I ought to be
aware of?

Answer: Sexual curiosity is a natural phenomenon in children of all ages, but it does demand a careful response so that children develop a healthy respect for themselves and others. In general, this is what you might expect in children from infancy through the early school years.

Birth to 2 years
Babies explore their bodies with their hands, with no shame or sexual meaning attached to the behavior. In little boys, erections are a natural reflex, especially during diapering.

Preschool years
Young preschoolers are openly curious -- asking, looking, touching. They figure out, “I’m a girl, you’re a boy,” and wonder about the similarities and differences. As they begin to discover the shock value with adults, they may use sex words and bathroom humor, often with little or no understanding of the meaning. It is not unusual for preschoolers to stroke their genitals for self-comfort when they are alone.

Elementary school years
As sexuality takes on new meaning, elementary aged children become more secretive about exploration (playing doctor with a friend, for example) and gradually become more modest about their bodies. They are curious about romantic and sexual fantasies, but often are vague or confused about details.
 
Although it is normal and healthy for children to be curious about sex, there are red flags of which caregivers should be aware:
 
• Preoccupation with sexual things (e.g., the child can’t seem to stop talking about sexual things)
• Acting out sexual behavior that involves force or violence.
 
These behaviors suggest the possibility that the child either has been abused or has witnessed explicit sexual behavior or sexual violence at home or elsewhere. Even seeing media images of sex can be
very disturbing for children. And when children act out what they see in films or TV, it can set up a dangerous domino effect on other children.
 
As with all aspects of child rearing, it is important that you work in partnership with the parents of children in your care. With regard to sexual curiosity, you and the parents would do well to agree on clear limits about the sexual language and behavior that are acceptable; monitor and regulate the children's exposure to inappropriate television programs; and give clear messages about respectful, loving sexuality. And if you suspect that a child in your care has a problem, talk with the parents right away so that they can seek advice from their pediatrician or other professional.

Dr. Erickson is a senior fellow and director of the Harris Programs in the Center for Early Childhood Education at the University of Minnesota
 
Want to hear more parenting advice?
Dr. Erickson and her daughter can be heard every Sunday, from 2 - 4 p.m., on “Good Enough Moms,” on FM107.1 radio in the Twin Cities or via Webcast at www.FM1071.com