In affluent societies where the culture of consumerism is dominant and the satisfaction of human needs and desires is the norm, children become the first victim of manufacturers and marketing executives. This is especially so in Gulf societies where children and young people make up the largest segment of the population.
Under the onslaught of this culture of consumerism that works to destroy the common good of individuals and institutions, children exercise growing pressure on parents through an emotional form of blackmailing to get what the manufacturers offer.
By blackmailing the child tries to justify their tactics, which the parents find themselves powerless to resist. The result is more encouragement and promotion of this consumerist attitude that only leads to children being programmed to be consumers.
The surrounding social atmosphere is to blame for such attitude which, if the parents and the family are not watching, is further reinforced in the children.
The problem worsens further during holiday seasons when the desire to consume grows and the circle widens to the extent that almost everything on display would find its way to people’s homes, even if they were not in actual need of them.
Opinions differ as to how to raise our children in a commercial culture. I try my best to take them away from television and video games while showing them something better to do; allowing them to see things without the commercial trappings and teaching them they may not need all these things.
It is important to teach children to be doers rather than shoppers and to do community service with them. I talk to my children on the need for them to visit a hospital, social care center or orphanage during Eids and other occasions to distribute gifts and make those children who find themselves confined to such places know that people outside do care.
I wish to see the personal initiatives turned into regular communal activity involving our schoolchildren as well as other youths. I feel that all of us, including the media, are not doing enough to help the less fortunate, especially the children. Instead of allowing ourselves to be carried away by this strong tide of consumerism, we should do more to encourage the values of community work among our children.
