"Children 'damaged' by materialism" (BBC). Probably, but what can be done about it?

[Bluebutterfly]

The problem is that in our consumerist culture it is almost impossible to get away from this problem, is it not? What do MNers think?

"Don't blame it on the good times, blame it on the boogie"

"Heal the world, make it a better place, for you and for me and the entire human race..."

lol.

I wasn't lumping you in with them, at all. I promise. [screws up eyes to inspect Sue's anorak in a very consumerist way]

I was merely pointing out that some religious bodies have a vested interest in seeing the world as bad and disorderly and taking great strength from that fact.

The world is flawed. So are people. And life is a perilous business, happiness is hard won sometimes. But that's okay, that is life and what it means to be alive and to be human.

And my response to that fact is 'Be the change you want to see in the world.'

Not -

the world is evil, so are people who buy things and I wish we were all Puritans who could make our hands bleed my making our own furniture and scrubbing the wood until my knees bleed because therefore I am going to be a morally superior person.

Yes K999 . I understand why ahundred may believe that my post was passive although I was really attempting to be inquisitive about MNers views which is why I asked what MNers think. I didn't think that anyone would think that I tacitly believe that something that probably "damages" children is ok. What I really want to know is what can be done about it at a societal level. Of course it is important that we address things at home and I do not give toys etc to my ds just because he asks for them. However, I would like to see targetted advertising banned because I think that the idea that courting children as consumers is part of what creates a prevailing message that materialism is not only ok, but desirable. And it is our responsibility not just to our children, but to our society - if we don't like it change it. My disillusionment is really with the idea that changing my own behaviour can have any impact. For instance, I have boycotted Nestle for years, and continue to do so on the grounds of principle. Good for me - yay! But as far as I can see Nestle is still one of the most powerful companies in the world and they still get up to dubious things. They have too much corporate power and, despite my good intentions, unless our governments step in and legislate about issues that matter like corporate responsibility, then my child is going to grow up in a world where children still die from drinking contaminated formula and where materialism pervades society and damages young people.

Please don't make the mistake of thinking I don't care just because I sometimes suffer from a crisis of futility.

I misread your title I think, it was the 'probably' which did for me.

but 100x, surely someone personally rejecting, or at least aspiring to reject a consumerist, 'more stuff' mentality is being the change they want to see in the world?

I'm confused.

"Sha-mow! Yip!"

Yes, they are aren't they? You're right.

Now I'm confused too. I think perhaps what I'm saying is that if the attendant position is all doom-laden and miserable and thinking the world a terrible place, then that is tedious and boring and probably comes with a bad anorak and a nasty whiff of moral righteousness.

Be the change. Don't buy stuff if you don't want to. Don't feel too miserable about the world though. And FGS stop listening to the endless surveys of misery.

How about that?

"I'm startin' with the man in the mirror. I'm asking him to change his wa-yays..."

[thumps air]

You got it. I'm going to make that poster now.

What hacks me off is simple things, like our local park, it has a fantastic pond, waterfalls, walks and swingparks, but what nice (money making for someone) thing did the council do, let traders set up bouncy castles and little funfair rides (£2 a go) and an ice cream van next to the swingpark, sometimes you get fed up saying no, no, no when you just wanted some cheap family fun.

With respect to comments that the problems start at school when children start coming under peer pressure.

If a child has self-esteem and aplomb, is that still the case? I remember being the poor one at my secondary school and the girls laughing at my homemade skirts. It did not bother me though because I saw my Mum making them and I appreciated the effort that went into it. My view was at least I was wearing something original.

This thread is beginning to remind me of the Dolly Parton song......"My coat of many colours that my mother made for me.....!"

hey, just got back from the shed - making my own table - no chairs though, we prefer to stand, you know, mortification of the body and all that .

I don't sell watchtower! I don't have an anorak!

And I am completely lost...I got as far as 'Christians have a vested interest in making people thing the world is flawed' and ' but the world is flawed'...so my question is this: huh?

lol @ mortification.

Jeez. You lot are jumpy about the anoraks. I wasn't and didn't suggest that you or Sue had bad anoraks or even a passing interest in The Watch Tower.

I was referring to all those that are doom-laden. This included the bad anoraks - they were an example, and everyone who publishes doom-laden surveys and broadcasts them as factual news.

As an offshoot, we briefly discussed how in my mind certain Christian folk are always very keen to see sin and misery in the world, because it gives them something to look forward to at the end of life. It was a response to the whiff of moral righteousness wrt consumerism.

I then made the point that yes the world is flawed, as are people, but this isn't a bad thing, not at all and so everybody should just stop being so miserable about it.

As you can see, this was all powerfully pertinent to the original point of the thread

Then we sang some Michael Jackson toons.

Just call me Pangloss.

ah hah, its all clear now!

FWIW, I don't wear my sandals with socks either

I disagree that the badness in the world isn't a bad thing. I think its a very bad thing. Very, seriously bad.

I agree, however, that we can and should do things that improve the world...and that there is a lot of good in the world as well.

"If you wanna make the world a better pace, take a look at yourself and make a change"

Oh good, I thought it'd help.

And I disagree with you.

But I suspect it's an original sin thing that will come between us.

That pesky original sin business. I agree 100x. It's like the ruddy elephant under the table, that original sin.

Not much of a bridge between "I think the fact that there is bad in the world is bad" and "I think that fact that there is bad in the world is #om# an opportunity (or something)".

oh bugger.

that was me

I had you when you burst into song and did the moonwalk Sue

yes 100x, sin will come between us

Seriously though - how can you see, for example, children taken from their parents, or people stealing the life savings of OAPs and think "good thing"?

What was it you were saying Sue - er - arsycrap?

astrophe, something along the lines of where you're going now. I name-changed to do an incognito whinge in chat and forgot to change back. So much for stealth.