The other day, I was dragging the kids back from a demonstration in the rain, feeling guilty about imposing this militant and damp choice on my offspring, when we passed the demon's lair... a well-known "accessories, beauty, jewelry and hair" chain store whose signs can be seen in any city center or shopping mall. Everything it sells is cheap, shiny and non-essential – think barrettes, earrings and false nails. Irresistible when you are nine. My daughter and her friend made puppy dog eyes. I gave in. They scrambled to reach the princess headbands. Not to be outdone, my son chose one with golden laurel leaves, akin to Julius Caesar's crown in Asterix. That's when the saleswoman pointed out a promotion offering free hair elastics if they picked one more item.
The spell was broken at the checkout, where they piled up several dozen euros' worth of poor-quality, completely useless plastic and metal objects made on the other side of the world. A reflex overcame politeness. I shouted: "This is way too expensive for what it is! Let's put everything back and go!"
I am not alone in my frustration with these young consumers, whose desires are at odds with our efforts, however modest, at curbing consumption. Giuseppe, 43, and his family in Rome strive to have a "simple lifestyle" – no car, no plastic, no synthetic clothing and no ultra-processed food. However, his seven and eight-year-old daughters don't see it that way, and "constantly" beg their parents to be allowed to buy fast fashion and go to McDonald's. "It's not easy to resist: The little ones are tenacious and insistent because they want to be like their friends, whose parents are indifferent to the environment," said Giuseppe, who is aware that his children are also preyed upon by advertising.
How should you respond to children's pleas? "The issue of immediate gratification is complex. Young people are very impulsive; we need to teach them to think ahead. For example, we can suggest that they make a list of what they want and then see if they still want it a month later," said Coralie Damay, a researcher at the Higher Institute of Commerce in Paris, specializing in children's consumption.
Some parents use clever tactics to avoid the option of buying things. Such is the case with Marion and her 10 and five-year-old children, who "already have specific requests for clothes, shoes and toys". In this Nantes family, every purchase is carefully considered: new shoes but good quality ones; hand-me-down clothes that are then passed on to cousins, friends or neighbors; toys chosen for being "robust" and bought second-hand. Last Christmas, the eldest asked for video games. No problem. "My husband rented an arcade machine for the holidays so that all four of us could play. At the end of the vacation, my son said it was his favorite part. We returned the arcade machine, and it hasn't been mentioned since," Marion said.
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