It is just me or is the younger generation becoming increasingly materialistic? In today’s capitalistic world material is taking preference over true merit and character. Children continue to judge their school fellows and age mates on how they dress and what brands or gadgets they carry with them. For instance, children of secondary schools nowadays often base their friendships and other kids entering ‘their’ groups based on what class and background they belong to. This results in children not thinking about the quality of education they receive or bonds they form but more about their social relations and what their “friends” will think of them if they don’t come to school in luxury cars or wearing ‘Jordans.’
Research suggests, “…that children in religious schools were less materialistic than children in secular schools." The rising trend of wearing branded products has taken a toll on the way children perceive the world around them. I completely agree with the fact that friendships are being evaluated on the basis of the social standing and wealth of the other person, rather than their values, family upbringing, and personality- which is what is substantial and pertinent to consider. Religion teaches one to be simple and focuses more on character development which is why those students and children tend to be less materialistic than in secular schools. It is a matter of concern that needs to be looked into otherwise within a few years it will adversely impact the quality of education these children are acquiring and will hinder the economic growth and progress of the nation as a whole.
This post reminds me of the day I got enrolled in my school and the first question a kid asked me was how many pairs of shoes does my dad own. This question confused me on many different levels as it seemed not only weird but personal. How many of you can relate? Do share your experiences and thoughts. Would love to read about your experiences.
First of all, Good Job on the title for your blog. It instantly caught my attention, haha. Adding on to your views, i think one strong reasoning for the younger generation being more materialistic could be accredited to the growing culture of consumerism. The idea that increasing the consumption of goods and services purchased in the market is always a desirable goal and that a person's wellbeing and happiness depends fundamentally on obtaining consumer goods and material possessions has been prevalent in the 21st century.
Moreover, i believe that social media also plays a big role in this. We see children today with open access to social media and what happens on those platforms is that influencer's make it look…
This quite an interesting topic, one i think we need to talk about more. I feel like i have observed this happening more among young children in primary and middle schools who are growing up. Often the case is that they pick up on these behaviours from adults around them. They pick up on what they hear and see and they reproduce that mindset. Young children have very impressionable minds and they tend to behave as the adults around them. I suppose the way forward would be for the adults to be more mindful of their words and actions around children
This is very interesting. I have had similar experiences where the first day of o'week, I was asked by a fellow about the number of countries I had travelled to and whether I was a brand-enthusiast. I was extremely confused at the question, considering it came towards me on day 1 of our interaction.
On first look, I took it as an expression of affluence and the need to share that with the people around you. However, I came across a different perspective the other day where a therapist talked about how at times, this kind of behavior often also stems from insecurity, where the inability to meet a need strive for a persona as such. It is often a…
Most of the schools do have strict uniforms, I believe teachers and administration play an extremely important role when it comes to values and morals. They serve as our role models from a very young age and if they are materialistic and wearing brands head-to-toe that will also add to the already growing complexes that children have. They should wear whatever they wish to wear but without being proud about it. Wearing something expensive should not make the other person feel like they are above everyone as this impacts a child’s thinking adversely and gives them deep-rooted complexes.
I think it is a very relevant comment these days - we live in a world of social media "a fake world" where everyone is living their best lives. This is adversely impacting the young generation and they are continuously thinking about the materialistic things.
While I agree many children that goes to Madrasas or Religious Schools might not have exposure to this fake world and yes religion make you humble and steadfast, it is more of a societal issue than a religious issue.