Children

Children as Consumers

One classification includes five stages of the development of children as consumers:

• 1.
  Ages 0–2: accompanying parents and observing
• 2.
  Ages 2–3: accompanying parents and requesting
• 3.
  Ages 3–4: accompanying parents and selecting with permission
• 4.
  Ages 4–5: accompanying parents and making independent purchases
• 5.
  Ages 5–6: going to the store alone and making independent purchases

P. M. Valkenburg and J. Cantor offer a four-stage development from a psychological point of view:

• 1.
  Infants and toddlers (ages 0–2): feeling wants and preferences
• 2.
  Preschoolers (ages 2–5): nagging and negotiating
• 3.
  Early elementary school (ages 5–8): adventure and the first purchase
• 4.
  Later elementary school (ages 8–12): conformity and fastidiousness

The categories of children's consumption include food, toys, games and other entertainment products, clothes, accessories and cosmetics, children's books, school and educational accessories, children's furniture and equipment, children's medicine, and other children's items. There are also adults’ categories that have been consumed by some children at the expense of their health (such as tobacco).

Developing sound food habits for good health, recognized as a preventive health, has become a main task of modern parents, children, and society in general. One serious problem is the disproportionate consumption of condensed milk that makes children vulnerable to dehydration and death from diarrhea. There are many social programs throughout the world that help families and single parents’ children get enough food, including milk.

There is a tendency toward overconsumption by children in some countries in the world, including the United States, which results in serious obesity problems. Plate-waste is a specific issue, since children leave a great deal of food on their plates, especially during school lunches. Many projects and programs try to both reduce the wasting of food through recycling and to decrease the obesity problem. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation spends $100 million per year toward reversing childhood obesity—the single largest effort of this type in history.

Toys and games play an essential role in children's life and are also one of the most successful types of merchandise all over the world, with an annual profit of around $21 billion. Electronic games and other entertainment products have an ambiguous role, since electronic games are often thought to have ill effects. A successful marketing mechanism that develops a culture of extensive consumption is the promotion of collectible toys, including Barbie dolls, Dora, and numerous other brands. In contrast to toys and other small products, parks like Disneyland in California and Universal Orlando in Florida create an opportunity for creative entertainment that may lead to extensive consumption.

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