The development of consumer behavior occurs gradually and over the course of many years. For this reason, children of different ages are affected by persuasive media in different ways. Scholars Valkenburg and Cantor (2002) propose that there are four distinct phases of the development of consumerism throughout childhood. In the infant and toddler phase, a child first discovers their wants and preferences. This often manifests in a child’s inclination towards certain kinds of foods, clothing, and media programs (once they develop the attention span to enjoy television). These preferences may appear in small ways such as grabbing at objects or acting out when wearing certain clothing or given certain foods. These likes and dislikes continue to develop and once they reach the age of two, they begin to make connections between the advertisements they see on television and the products that catch their eyes in stores. However, at this point in their development they lack the ability to make their own purchases, thus they begin asking parents for certain items at roughly 18-24 months (Valkenburg & Cantor, 2002).
The second stage occurs in preschool between the ages of 2 and 5, and is characterized by simple and egocentric wants and an increase in awareness of advertisements. At this age, children begin to understand commercials and what they are attempting to sell them. However, their lack of theory of mind hinders their ability to recognize that those advertising to them are only interested in profit. Thus they mistake the claims in advertisements as being truthful and begin nagging their parents for certain products. Children at this age are also too young to practice delayed gratification, and are thus more prone to temper tantrums and behavioral outbursts when not given the items they desire. Another characteristic of this age group is the concept of centration, meaning they have little eye for detail and tend to be easily intrigued by the simple but colorful and flashy products that catch their eye (Valkenburg & Cantor, 2002).
This behavior continues until early elementary school (ages 5-8), when children gain the ability to make their first independent purchases. At this age, they gain the ability to criticize and find fault in unrealistic or fantastical commercials, but still fall prey to seemingly realistic ads presented by popular characters. Children in this stage also begin to accrue small amounts of their own money through their parents by doing household chores and/or being given cash gifts for birthdays or holidays. This money allows them to make their first small purchases without their parents’ direct aid (Valkenburg & Cantor, 2002).
Finally, in later elementary school (ages 8-12) , children’s purchasing and consumer habits become increasingly influenced by the opinions of others. Fortunately, their more advanced cognition and attention to detail allows them to be skeptical about commercials advertising products to them and to compare the quality and merits of various products. As a result, their requests for advertised products generally decrease by age 9 or 10. However, the buying habits of children in late elementary school continue developing as their focus shifts to what is “cool” and popular among their peers, which in turn leads to the start of brand loyalty. Children in this age range also begin to collect items that interest them, such as toy cars and legos (Valkenburg & Cantor, 2002).
While these age ranges are rough estimates, all of these developments are important to keep in mind as you guide your child/children to be mindful and educated consumers. However, as parents and educators, we must remember that advertising companies are also well aware of children’s development towards media and products, and can shape their tactics to better target the age range they appeal to. With this in mind, we recommend continued open conversation about commercials and buying habits that develop and change at the same unique pace as your child.
Valkenburg, P. M., Cantor, J. (2002). The Development of a Child into a Consumer. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology 22(1):61-72. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222553251_The_Development_of_a_Child_into_a_Consumer