low self-esteem

Study finds boosting kids’ confidence deflates materialism on the cusp of adolescence

When ‘tweens beg for a pair of Hollister jeans or “Guitar Hero” for the holidays, they’re asking for more than an item of clothing or electronics. They’re trying to shore up their self-esteem.

Much has been written about how kids on the cusp of adolescence lose the confidence of childhood and enter a phase of insecurity and selfconsciousness. A new study from the University of Minnesota links those feelings to a spike in materialism at the same age. The good news for parents is that materialism seems to decline in later adolescence. The study also found that a simple boost to self-esteem can dramatically decrease materialism in kids of all ages.

Researchers have probed the link between self-esteem and adult consumer behavior, but an article published today in the Journal of Consumer Research is one of the first to look at how materialism changes over time in kids. [continue reading…]

In the Peanuts comic strip, Charlie Brown was never able to kick the football, fly a kite properly or lead a baseball team. He was also sad and often the target of ridicule from his peers. A new Canadian study looking at the connections between athletic skill and social acceptance among school children confirms that Chuck’s problems were true to life: kids place a great deal of value on athletic ability, and youngsters deemed unskilled by their peers often experience sadness, isolation and social rejection at school. [continue reading…]

Few can tolerate such romantic or professional rebuffs as “It’s not you, it’s me” and “we regret to inform you that your application was not successful.” But while a healthy dose of self-esteem can absorb the shock of rejection, poor self-esteem can trigger the primal fight-or-flight response, according to a new study from the University of California, Berkeley. [continue reading…]