Guilty parents spoil young with gadgets

London: Children are bombarded with computer games and designer clothes by parents trying to compensate for not spending time with them, a UN-backed report said.

It said youngsters feel trapped in a materialistic culture and, as a result, British families compare badly with countries such as Sweden or Spain.

Unicef, the UN children's agency that commissioned the report, said the pressures of materialism on families could be linked to the causes of the riots in British cities last month.

The findings came from a project looking at children in 24 families across the three countries. The results were discussed in focus groups with 250 further children.

"Parents in the UK are committed to their children but they lose out on time together as a family due in part to long working hours," the report said. "They often try to make up for this by buying their children gadgets and branded clothes.

"Consumer culture in the UK contrasts starkly with Sweden and Spain, where family time is prioritised, children and families are under less pressure to own material goods, and children have greater access to activities outside the home."

Under pressure

Unicef's UK director David Bull said: "Right now politicians are grappling with the aftermath of the riots and what they say about our society, culture and families. The research findings... may speak to some of the underlying issues relating to the disturbances."

The report said children in the countries said their happiness depended on having time with a stable family and things to do, especially outdoors. But in Britain, it found, parents said they were under tremendous pressure to buy material goods for their children.

— Daily Mail