Most adults think 'kids today more materialistic than ever'

London, Feb 27 : According to a new survey, most adults believe that materialism and commercialisation is spoiling younger generations.

A GfK NOP survey conducted over 1,255 people revealed that 89 percent of adults believed that today's generation was more materialistic than the older ones.

The constant pressure to keep themselves updated with the latest trends is turning children into selfish materialists.

The Children's Society, the charity, which conducted the survey, suggests that the adults have to take responsibility for the current level of marketing to children.

"A crucial question raised by the inquiry is whether childhood should be a space where developing minds are free from concentrated sales techniques," BBC quoted Bob Reitemeier, chief executive of the society, as saying.

"To accuse children of being materialistic in such a culture is a cop-out," he said.

Children should be taught to value themselves rather than what they own.

"Unless we question our own behaviour as a society we risk creating a generation who are left unfulfilled through chasing unattainable lifestyles," he said.

However, Mark Fawcett chief executive of the National Schools Partnership believes that the children cannot be protected from the real world.

"We have to live in the current communications era where children can see a huge amount of information," he said.

"We have to use our judgement and we have to, as an industry, make sure we are working with children and families, and not exploiting them," he added.

ANI