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=toc Teen Consumption= =Introduction = In 1999, 10-19 year olds spent $39.9 million dollars throughtout the US (Parker). That is $85 per teen/tween a day. We know now in the year 2010, that number has gone up much higher. As a teen myself, I am very careful as to how I spend my money. Teens and tweens these days just want to spend money because they don't understand how hard it is to earn the money becuase it isn't theirs. Imagine yourself as a teen you just keeps spending money as if it's water and constantly asking for new things and getting them. Sounds great right? Well teens, wake up and realize that life isn't a game. And finiancial, you can't mess up. Teen consumption is a social and a financial problem.



=Cause = There is one cause for the issue of teen consumption. The problem is that in the previous generations, teens didn't have as much money as teens do today (Teens and the Consumer Culture). Before, parents didn't buy their kids much as to clothing, music etc. only needs but, today parents just throw money at their kids and the teens think there is nothing better to do with it than spend it. In addition, they don't even spend it wisely. Why do brand names matter so much? Some think that it is because if its a brand name that is expensive, it will be better quality (Teens and the Consumer Culture). That usually is not true at all. Also, people who but brand names, think it is a way of them wanting other to think they are higher class people (Prah). Brand names are just a name. You can buy something $70 cheaper at Target than any brand named store. Teens need to learn that they shouldn't try and impress people with their clothing/accessories because if they save it in the end, they are the successful people.



=Effect = "Teens don't have a lot of ways to express themselves. They look toward fashion and spending money as identifiers to their words" (Parker). Today, teens are giving themselves more responsibility with all this money spending. Their buying power is stronger now (Parker). Although, with parents who are middle classed, they really can't afford their teens spending all this money, but they still want their kids pleased. A way to keep both parents and teens happy is for parents to calculate their budget and see how much their kids can spend per month. That way, the kid can spend money on what they want and parents still save money. Although, teens cannot spend their money on irrelevant things. Wouldn't you rather buy 6 pairs of clothing from Target or JCPenny rather than Bebe or any other brand name store? Or buy 3 pairs of different colored boots at Payless rather than buying ONE pair of UGGS. "Unfortunatey, say consumer advocates, parents aren't teaching their kids how to manage money" (Parker).

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What Parents Can Do
Teaching your teens how to manage their money is one of the best and beneficial thing you can do for them. Money management is much more beneficial to them than simply deciding they just need to make a lot of money when they get older. Even people making six figures a year are in debt. It's our spending habits that get us into trouble, not the amount of money we make. So, if teens see that parents are spending money like its water, the teens are going to do the exact same thing. Parents, make sure that you explain to your teens that they need to be on a budget. So, if that means giving them an allowance, that is fine, but they need to know how to manage it. They have to think about college and take responsibility for themselves. Along with saving, they need to learn how to manage how much they are going to spend each week and what they will and will not spend it on. =Conclusion = I believe that teens these days not only need to improve on their financial skills but also, their social skills. All teens want to do is impress people and keep up with the "coolness". Individually, teens need to learn to be independent, start something new. I know that I would NEVER pay more than $15 for a pair of jeans. Other teens would pay $150 on a pair of True Religion jeans. The only difference is that on the brand name jeans, their is a horseshoe shape on the buttocks pocket. Are you going to let your family down and put the rest of your life down the drain just for a horseshoe sign? I would never.

=More Information = Still interesting in researching more on Teen Consumption? Check out these cites. http://www.imediaconnection. com/content/11569.asp http://www.atg.wa.gov/ teenconsumer/ http://www.atg.wa.gov/ BlogPost.aspx?id=20570 http://www.associatedcontent. com/article/217077/teens_and_ the_consumer_culture_why.html http://www.oag.state.md.us/ WiseBuys/

 Works Cited
Futrelle, David. "Are your Kids Normal About Money?" // EBSCOhost //. Dec. 2005. Web. 4 Feb. 2010. < [|http://web.ebscohost.com] >. Parker, Suzi. "Fashion and Music Blend kids to Spend." 8 Sept. 1999: 1-3. // EBSCOhost //. Web. 3 Feb. 2010. . "Teens and the Consumer Culture: Why Brand Names Matter so Much -." // Associated Content - associatedcontent.com //. Web. 09 Feb. 2010.