Welcome FlowerChild
It is a bit ironic how we get to work on projects that are very commercial on the one hand and very equitable on the other. This week at JuniorSenior we have had creative sessions about what tweens (9-12 years old) like to win in competitions and it is amazing how hard it is to satisfy a group as young as these kids. Most of them already own gadgets worth at least € 1.000,00. They have mobile phones, MP3’s, Nintendo DS’s, cameras, computers. For less ‘cool’ gadgets they are not motivated to join in prizewinning competitions.
We also worked on another problem: how to teach this same group of tweens to manage money and become wise and well informed consumers. When we want to develop a financially sound society, the best place to start is with our youth. Make them aware that every manufacturer wants a share of their money and that it is very important to take control of it.
Spending less money is a trend and not only because of the financial crisis. There is one group of people who want to consume less because of environmental reasons. They want to avoid being an ecological threat themselves. Another group consumes less for spiritual reasons. The materialism starts to annoy them and they search for a simpler but more satisfying life. Instead of eating in restaurants a lot, buying lots of expensive clothes and going on holiday 3 times a year, they find it more fulfilling to cook themselves healthy meals, take time to find second hand clothes or furniture and spend more quality time with their children. Creating a life in which you need less money gives you a lot of freedom in return.
This weekend I finished a research for one of our clients and compared data on family life in 10 different European countries. With the help of our international teams, we found out some very interesting things. One of the questions was a salary comparison of households with kids between 6 and 12 years old. The differences are huge in Europe. The Norwegians are richest with a net yearly income of 71.000 euro. In Poland families are a lot less fortunate with only 4.100 euro per year. Raising kids with barely enough money to buy food is unimaginable for us, but it happens even in Europe. I really hope that one day there will be equal chances for all children.
