American teens spent more in ‘94. (1995, March 5). Parade Magazine. (Statistics from Peter Zollo, president of TRU, Teenage Research Unlimited.)

OVERVIEW

In 1994, U.S. teenagers spent $99 billion, representing 11% more spending for teens than in 1993. The reason for this is that the population of teenagers is on the rise: after a slump in the 1980s, the population of U.S. teens is at its highest ever—up to 28.5 million and rising.

Teenage spending is reckoned in three stages:

• What they spend of the money they have earned or have been given.
• What they spend of their parents’ money.
• How they influence their parents to spend money on cars, stereos, etc.

The first two categories are called discretionary spending. In 1994, teenage discretionary spending amounted to $99 billion, the highest ever:

• $63 billion was their own money (from jobs, allowances, gifts, etc.).
• $36 billion came from their parents for groceries and other things needed by the family.

Other trends in teenage spending include the following:

• Girls spend more family money.
• Boys make more money, an average of $18 a week more than girls.
• Boys spend an average of $68 a week of their own money.
• Girls spend an average of $65 a week of their own money.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. What impresses or surprises you most in these figures?
2. How do magazines and advertisers take note of these economic realities?
3. How are young people today being prepared to resist manipulative advertisements and enhance their skills of discrimination and willpower?
4. Is more of this kind of information needed by young people, parents, youth workers, and teachers? Since young people, youth workers, and the public do not have the resources of advertisers, how can they be informed?

IMPLICATIONS

1. Youth leaders and organizations need to follow the demographic patterns of children and teenagers in terms of their own planning. The marketing of youth services is as important as consumer marketing.
2. We should understand that advertisers set their priorities according to demographic patterns and the amount of discretionary spending of specific age groups.