From the age of 12, children are happier to have a good time or to make new experiences than to receive gifts. These memories would be more beneficial to them.
- Young children are happiest when they receive material gifts but, from the age of twelve, they prefer memories of memorable moments and/or experiences.
- These experiences provide them with lasting happiness because they remember the details of the event long after it is over, which is not the case for younger children.
Sharing or offering special moments to children over 12, which will become experiences and then memories, would be more beneficial than material gifts. This is the result of a recent study conducted by Lan Nguyen Chaplin, associate professor of marketing at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His work has just been published in theInternational Journal of Research in Marketing. To reach this conclusion, she compared the level of happiness children feel when they receive material goods to that which they derive from memories of certain moments or their experiences.
Remember event details long after it’s over
If the youngest, from three to twelve years old, are happiest with material gifts, their elders on the other hand prefer memories of moments and/or outstanding experiences. “What this means is that experiences are highly coveted by teenagers, not just expensive material things, as some might think.emphasizes Lan Nguyen Chaplin. (…) Young children love experiments. Entire industries (eg theme parks like Disneyland) are built around it. In fact, young children are happy during these times. However, for experiences to provide lasting happiness, children must be able to remember details of the event long after it has ended.“Something that is not possible with the youngest.
Take pictures so the kids won’t forget
The difference between small and big children is due to the fact that the first do not keep – or hardly any – memories of the moments they spend. They therefore prefer material gifts because they have a trace of them. The memory is here material and the vision of the object brings happiness to young children, even if they have forgotten the moment when they received it or when they played with it for the last time. On the other hand, they have no trace of a shared moment or experience. Once completed, they can no longer remember past events and therefore no longer derive any sense of joy from them. But, by dint of working on the subject, Lan Nguyen Chaplin found a way to change that: “Take photos or videos of family walks, games in the snow and birthday parties, advises Lan Nguyen Chaplin. Children will likely enjoy these experiences more if there is something to remind them of the event.“ Thus, the children will more easily remember the photographed moments. There is a trace, a material memory. They will be able to relive the experience by looking at the pictures. A recommendation that is also valid – and maybe even more – with videos.
The older a child gets, the more happiness they derive from their memories, whether they are times spent with loved ones or new experiences. Elements that allow him to build himself, much more than material objects.
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