6 Ways To Maintain The Behavior Of Teenagers Who Are Shocked

Illustration (Ksenia Chenaya/Pexels)

JAKARTA - There are many internal and external factors that cause teenagers to have an impulsive hobby of shopping. According to research, this happens because the brains of teenagers in the prefrontal cortex have not fully developed. This section functions to control impulses and decision-making. So whatever is done, they tend not to worry too much about future consequences.

Karen Holland, Founder of Gifting Sense, quoted from the MYDOH page, Monday, August 28, said that teenagers are not careless consumers, but they are not experienced. And if parents don't control teenage expenses, then be prepared to reap difficulties.

In addition, external factors such as the fear of being left behind (AS FOMO), the attractiveness of social media and marketing influencers can also cause teenagers to pursue instant satisfaction by impulse buying. Plus, when they feel tired, stressed, or hungry, they are prone to emotional buying. So they will justify the purchase by saying that they had a tough day at school to feel better themselves.

To prevent children from falling into impulsive purchasing behavior further, here are some strategies that you can use to start conversations with teenagers.

When children ask for money to buy something, this is an opportunity to ask them if the items they want to buy are wishes or needs. Understanding the differences between the two helps prioritize their list of desires.

Take time with teenagers to make a budget. This will give them an overview of how they can live the life they want, without spending more money.

Calculate all sources of income including pocket money, income from doing homework, and part-time work. Next, write down a list of items they want to buy and their costs. From there, they can decide how much money they want to allocate for each item. This exercise will help them determine what they can buy now versus later and realize their shopping habits.

In the midst of the convenience of online shopping, children will definitely be tempted to click the "buy now" button. Instead, it is recommended to wait 24 hours before the stockout of the goods or return to the shopping center the next day. This is a laxus test to see if they really still want the item or whether they have really forgotten it when they have time to calm their emotions.

Discuss with children about the function and purpose of advertising. Why does a brand or product make attractive advertisements? Because they want their products to be bought by many people, that doesn't mean the products are definitely good.

Many brands spend fantastic funds to make excellent advertisements, even paying teenage idol artists to star in the ads. Explain this to your child, that the artist is paid to recognize a good quality product. But, not necessarily the product is good for everyone.

The most important factor, make sure the time spent watching TV, internet, and video games, for all family members, is balanced with other activities that are free from advertising. For example, jogging or cycling together around the complex, playing together inside and outside the home, reading books, and joining mutual cooperation with the local community, can be an idea. Apart from a safe wallet, children become closer to you.

While you want to keep your child away from impulsive buying behavior, it's important to give children autonomy of their spending choices so they can feel the positive or negative consequences that accompany them. That way children can learn from their mistakes early on and make smarter purchase decisions when they grow up.