Klimate R Us

Many parents trying to consume better or less are finding these attempts thwarted by the consumerist frenzy of their kids, under pressure to fit in and forge an identity. Cécile Cazenave discusses how to curb children’s consumption in an article on the Le Monde website.

Will our children’s consumption ruin our efforts to protect the climate?

The other day, I was dragging the kids back from a demonstration in the rain, feeling guilty about imposing this militant and damp choice on my offspring, when we passed the demon’s lair… a well-known “accessories, beauty, jewelry and hair” chain store whose signs can be seen in any city center or shopping mall. Everything it sells is cheap, shiny and non-essential – think barrettes, earrings and false nails. Irresistible when you are nine. My daughter and her friend made puppy dog eyes. I gave in. They scrambled to reach the princess headbands. Not to be outdone, my son chose one with golden laurel leaves, akin to Julius Caesar’s crown in Asterix. That’s when the saleswoman pointed out a promotion offering free hair elastics if they picked one more item.

The spell was broken at the checkout, where they piled up several dozen euros’ worth of poor-quality, completely useless plastic and metal objects made on the other side of the world. A reflex overcame politeness. I shouted: “This is way too expensive for what it is! Let’s put everything back and go!”

I am not alone in my frustration with these young consumers, whose desires are at odds with our efforts, however modest, at curbing consumption. Giuseppe, 43, and his family in Rome strive to have a “simple lifestyle” – no car, no plastic, no synthetic clothing and no ultra-processed food. However, his seven and eight-year-old daughters don’t see it that way, and “constantly” beg their parents to be allowed to buy fast fashion and go to McDonald’s. “It’s not easy to resist: The little ones are tenacious and insistent because they want to be like their friends, whose parents are indifferent to the environment,” said Giuseppe, who is aware that his children are also preyed upon by advertising.

‘Constantly exposed to brands’

How should you respond to children’s pleas? “The issue of immediate gratification is complex. Young people are very impulsive; we need to teach them to think ahead. For example, we can suggest that they make a list of what they want and then see if they still want it a month later,” said Coralie Damay, a researcher at the Higher Institute of Commerce in Paris, specializing in children’s consumption.

Some parents use clever tactics to avoid the option of buying things. Such is the case with Marion and her 10 and five-year-old children, who “already have specific requests for clothes, shoes and toys”. In this Nantes family, every purchase is carefully considered: new shoes but good quality ones; hand-me-down clothes that are then passed on to cousins, friends or neighbors; toys chosen for being “robust” and bought second-hand. Last Christmas, the eldest asked for video games. No problem. “My husband rented an arcade machine for the holidays so that all four of us could play. At the end of the vacation, my son said it was his favorite part. We returned the arcade machine, and it hasn’t been mentioned since,” Marion said.

Romain, 49, does things differently with his children, aged five and eight. He pays close attention to his own consumption and is involved in climate organizations, but admits he struggles when it comes to the kids, noting that they are “constantly exposed to brands,” especially at school. Romain applies a method to curb over-consumption which consists of asking himself five questions before buying anything: Will I really benefit from this item? Do I need it immediately? Do I already own something similar? What is the origin of this product? Will it be useful to me? “We talk about it every time we buy something, and it’s starting to sink in.” Childhood can also be a springboard for discussing what lies behind our consumption – natural resources, energy, labor and pollution – and therefore what determines its cost.

“Setting an example is important, as are the explanations that go with parents’ consumer choices: We need to find comparisons to clarify a price, let them know that there are choices to be made, and sharpen their critical thinking,” said Damay, noting that, from the age of five, children can construct a scale of values for things.

Sylvie Metzelard, editor-in-chief of 60 Millions de Consommateurs (“60 Million Consumers”), the magazine of the National Consumer Institute, has observed the same. Since December 2023, the magazine has offered a junior version for eight to 12-year-olds, focusing on the environment. In the test groups that preceded the launch of 60 Millions Junior, concern for the planet emerged as paramount. “Children are influencers in the family and ready to change their consumption choices in favor of the environment, but they need the right tools for understanding and the ability to exercise their free will,” said the journalist.

Excessive second-hand shopping

Emilie sees this firsthand, only giving in to her daughters “if the desired item meets a real need”. “At seven and 11 years old, I feel they understand that consuming pollutes and that parents don’t have unlimited budgets either,” she said. It’s the same story for Marion, with her 10-year-old son. “Last week, my eldest son needed a pair of pyjamas, so I gave him the choice between a new pair from a good brand or two second-hand ones from the same brand. He opted for one new pair,” she said.

It’s an attitude Marie-Xavière wishes her teenagers shared. She says that she and her husband are “very sensible” consumers. However, they have three older children at home, aged 21, 18, and 14, who shop excessively on second-hand platforms. “They buy tons of clothes and sneakers with their pocket money. We could open a sneaker store with the second one’s collection! Under the pretext that it’s second-hand and thrift, they keep buying and buying… It leaves us completely baffled,” she said.

It’s not an insurmountable challenge. However, it will require a great deal of ingenuity. “With small children, accumulation and collecting is a way of categorizing the world and therefore understanding it. But for teenagers, it’s more about quickly changing things, like clothes, focusing more on variety than on possession. We need to think together about solutions that respect both the environment and the teenager who is building their identity,” said Damay.

Innovative tools such as clothing exchanges, sports equipment rental platforms and toy libraries are highlighted in the remarkable Stop à la Surconsommation/Préserver la Planète (“Stop Overconsumption/Save the Planet,” untranslated, Bayard Jeunesse), by environmental journalist Emmanuelle Vibert and illustrator Dume. Packed with ideas for alternative ways of consuming, the book, aimed at high school students, also includes several sections providing historical and scientific perspectives on mass consumption.

“Teenagers aren’t responsible for this world; they’ve just arrived and inherited it,” said Vibert. “So we also need to explain to them that the issue of consumption is not just an individual one, it’s also a political one, in terms of both its causes and its solutions.” That should be enough to spark some family debates – maybe even some exploration of electoral manifestos.

External link