How to educate DC about pitfalls of consumerism?

[LakeFlyPie]

DS (11) is currently obsessed with having the latest expensive trainers, high end fashion brands and electronic goods.

As a family we live pretty frugally and DH and I have no interest in fashion, expensive goods etc so he certainly doesn't get exposed to these things at home! We have had conversations about financial planning in terms of balancing income / outgoings and prioritising what you want to spend / save.

I can remember yearning after the trendy things which friends had when I was his age but the cost of these things e.g trainers is ridiculous and I'd like to try and educate him about the ethics of consumerism (especially the big companies with dubious human rights records) without scaring him too much about the extreme poverty and misery out there.

Can anyone recommend a good source of age appropriate information to try and make him more aware of the downsides of consumerism / materialism?

Wow, good luck! I think it'll be an ongoing learning process for your ds. I'd be weary of outside media and prefer to research myself then relay the information I deem suitable via conversations.

Does he know the value of money yet?

Do you give pocket money? Or even better, pay in return for chores being completed from which he must buy the things he wants?

Humans are born completely ego-centric so I think understanding his impact and responsibility in this situation is a good first step.

Thanks for your reply.
No regular pocket money but we reward chores etc with money.
I think the current trainer obsession stems from some 'friends' teasing him for his unbranded trainers .
He just wants to fit in and impress his friends.
He starts high school next week and I fear it'll be a whole new world of competitive materialism.
We'll keep chatting and supporting him and try and negotiate a middle ground of sticking to principles whilst finding some options which allow him to fit in. Giving him the skills and confidence to be able to shrug off the piss takers / bullies will be a great achievement IMO

I think it's really hard to take in at that age tbh.

I'm not one for letting them bow to peer pressure generally but I was genuinely the only one at school who didn't have Nike/Adidas trainers and I was teased for being poor for years.

If you have enough money to buy a cheap version or a pair on sale, I'd just do it.

I think different hooks work with different DC. With some kids, the sustainability / environmental / ethical argument will work best. The ‘savvy consumer against big corporate’ is another option. I’ve always commented on tv adverts to my DC, about the way marketing works, how they’re after our money, how the adverts make stuff look better than it really is, about the price difference say between persil and supermarket laundry powder is mostly spent on advertising and not developing better products - with the aim of injecting some cynicism or a questioning mindset. So far they haven’t caught the brand bug (oldest is 12) but it’s still early days.

My DPs were very anti consumerism (therefore I was very uncool at school!) They used to take me to demonstrations, political events etc. where there were loads of leaflets and things on that kinds of stuff. I remember knowing about the treatment of child workers in Nike sweatshops etc from a young age. They also limited my TV time and if any adverts came on the TV my mum used to shout at them ("lies, it's all crap" etc) They encouraged other non shopping/consumerist activities (hiking, reading etc)

They never bought me anything branded, if I wanted that I'd have to save up my pocket/babysitting money.

There’s worse things than wanting to fit in at high school. I think materialism is part of a learning curve. It’s hard to be not materialistic until you’ve experienced at least some materialism and realised first hand that it doesn’t satisfy.
More practically, are there any secondhand options?

For goodness sake, it's not a bad thing to be into fashion. Let the lad have a pair of Air Forces. If you really have an issue, try introducing him to Depop or thrifting.