Purpose

The purpose of this research is to offer a theoretical explanation for the perpetuation of materialistic values among adolescents. In a recent survey by the Pew Research Center (2019), adolescents in America say that having a lot of money is more important to them in their future than getting married or having children. This research answers the call for a theoretical explanation for the perpetuation of materialistic values among adolescents. Using person–environment fit (P-E fit) theory, this study argues that it is not the content of the values, but rather the fit between a person’s value priorities and the values prevailing in the environment which is crucial to well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

A national online panel was used to collect cross-sectional survey data from 278 families (adolescents aged 13–18 and their parents).

Findings

Findings indicate that adolescents in congruent value households express significantly greater life satisfaction and less depressed mood than adolescents in conflict value households. In fact, materialistic adolescents living in materialistic households expressed the greatest life satisfaction, a finding which contrasts with the current claims that materialism uniformly causes anxiety and depressed mood.

Research limitations/implications

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to test person–environment fit theory in the context of the family and to offer this theory as a viable explanation of affluenza among America’s youth. The results of this study support the P-E fit theory and suggest that materialism is not universally associated with negative well-being, but rather that adolescents’ well-being is a function of the congruency of an adolescent’s values to his/her family environment.

Social implications

While materialistic socialization within the family does enhance the well-being of adolescents temporarily, it may also set adolescents up for a lifetime of harmful expectations from the pursuit money. A consistent pattern of overconsumption as a reward to adolescents may later produce materialistic adults who suffer from financial difficulties and mental health disorders. Disproportionate consumption further leads to environmental pollution.

Originality/value

No study to date has examined the impact of value congruence in the household (parent-child), as it pertains to the development of materialism in adolescents and its effects on adolescents’ well-being. This study suggests that highly materialistic adolescents can experience happiness from the pursuit of consumption. This offers insight into how a value deemed as detrimental as materialism continues to permeate in our society.

中文翻译：

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甲型流感的流行：物质世界中亲子价值一致性的后果

目的

这项研究的目的是为青少年中的物质主义价值观的延续提供理论解释。在皮尤研究中心（Pew Research Center）的最新调查报告（2019）中，美国的青少年表示，拥有大量金钱对他们的未来比结婚或生孩子更重要。这项研究回答了为青少年中的物质主义价值永存提供理论解释的呼吁。使用人与环境的适应（PE适应）理论，这项研究认为，价值的内容不是价值的内容，而是人的价值优先权与环境中普遍存在的价值之间的适应性，这对幸福感至关重要。

设计/方法/方法

一个全国性的在线小组被用来收集来自278个家庭（13至18岁的青少年及其父母）的横断面调查数据。

发现

研究结果表明，与具有冲突价值的家庭相比，具有同等价值的家庭中的青少年表现出明显更高的生活满意度和更少的沮丧情绪。实际上，生活在唯物主义家庭中的唯物主义青少年表现出最大的生活满意度，这一发现与当前声称唯物主义统一导致焦虑和沮丧情绪的说法形成鲜明对比。

研究局限/意义

据作者所知，该研究是第一个在家庭背景下测试人与环境适应理论，并将其作为对美国年轻人中富裕症的可行解释。这项研究的结果支持体育锻炼适应理论，并表明，唯物主义并不与负面幸福感普遍相关，而是，青少年的幸福感是青少年价值观与其家庭环境的一致性的函数。

社会影响

尽管家庭内部的唯物主义社会化确实可以暂时改善青少年的生活，但也可能使青少年终生受到追求金钱的有害期望。持续的过度消费是对青少年的奖励，后来可能会导致物质上的成年人遭受经济困难和心理健康障碍的折磨。消费不成比例进一步导致环境污染。

创意/价值

迄今为止，尚无研究探讨价值一致对家庭（父母子女）的影响，因为这与青少年唯物主义的发展及其对青少年幸福感的影响有关。这项研究表明，高度物质主义的青少年可以从追求消费中获得快乐。这提供了一种洞察力，即一种被视为对唯物主义有害的价值如何继续渗透到我们的社会中。