Material things are not bad or good

by Betina Ricchezza

When your children say that they are bored because there is nothing to do, what do you do? Do you ignore their moan? Do you help them to find a way out of boredom? Or do you think: “How these children can be bored if they have a room full of whatever they want?” Today our children own and enjoy a lot of things: big screen televisions, computers and mobile phones to name a few. But, do all these things prevent them from boredom? Or do they make children happier?

Marcella, the main character from Robert Byrd´s book “Marcella was bored”, is a clear example of a consumer girl. Although she has a room full of things, she is bored with life and everything it offers, including dance lessons, music, books, food, television and including playing with friends.

Consumerism promotes neither happiness nor entertainment. Pressure on children to have the most fashionable trainers or computer games make them feel miserable. Consumerism promotes unhappiness because it is based on material things and takes time away from things that are really important, such as relationships with family and friends. Marcella is bored of listening her grandpa´s stories. She does not enjoy playing with her brothers and when she meets her friends she thinks that jumping rope with them is a waste of time. When children organize their life around extrinsic goals, such as product acquisition or image, they report greater unhappiness in relationships and more psychological problems. Consumerism offers short term satisfaction. Even though Marcella has a room full of things she does not find anything amusing or interesting to do. Psychologists say that materialistic values are linked to lower life satisfaction.

Consumerism does not rescue children from boredom. Instead of a room full of things, they have to learn how to entertain themselves. Creative ideas come out of boredom. When Marcella walks away from her home she discovers that jumping from rock to rock and seeing some frogs in a pond is entertaining. Children have to learn to focus their attention on more important things than video games, computers or huge screen televisions. It will help them to promote a more sensible way of living.

Marcella is a consumer girl who has more things than she really needs. She learns to appreciate them when she takes distance from her home. But she also realizes that she misses her family. She wishes there were someone to talk to or to play with. She also learns to estimate her family and friends. That is what really matter.

Material things are not bad or good. But the place that children give them in their life is relevant. Material things do not give them happiness and at last children get bored of them. Children have to appreciate what they have and look after what really matter, family and friends.