Your browser is unsupported

We recommend using the latest version of IE11, Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari.

Why Too Much Stuff Can Make Kids Unhappy

A child accepting a dollar

MSN.com covered a recent National Geograhic story featuring research from Lan Nguyen Chaplin, Associate Professor of Marketing, focued on materalism in children. “We gravitate to material things because it gives us this boost of happiness. But we’re caught in this cycle of thinking, ‘If I could just have that toy or that shirt, I’d be happier.’”

As many Americans are expecting cash in the form of stimulus checks in the coming weeks, it could be a great opportunity to start a conversation with kids about financial values. Here’s how materialism can negatively impact kids, and how parents can teach them better ways to spend.