Psychologists found that young people aiming to fit among the peers by working to be cool, look good and to own the “right stuff” are at high risk of negative effects. Many children and teenagers are facing pressure to be popular among the group that pushes them to buy into the consumer culture, which they believe will make them feel better and help them to make friends.

The new study, recently presented at the British Psychological Society’s Developmental and Social Psychology Section annual conference, shows that consumer culture was perceived by vulnerable children as a coping mechanism for such pressure in the society, which could be damaging to their well-being. Researchers found different effects of depression on young boys and girls due to the pressure to place themselves in the group.

Depressed young males tend to be more likely to increase their materialism, while females’ depressive symptoms aid to internalisation of appearance concerns. The researchers, from the University of Sussex, conducted a three-year study of 1,000 children in the UK to analyse the belief of being disruptive, having “cool stuff” and looking good are the best way to become more popular among the peers.

But the analysis found valuing these behaviours actually causes a negative effect. Those young people with low well-being become more orientated towards consumer culture, and the peer relations tend to worsen over time, said Dr Matthew Easterbrook, one of the researchers and a psychology lecturer.

“Although friendly and helpful children were ultimately more popular over time, young people mistakenly predicted that the route to being liked was in having a reputation for disruptive behaviour, having ‘cool’ stuff and looking good,” said Robin Banerjee, a professor of developmental psychology. Those young people rejected by peers then turned to consumer culture, which actually worsened, rather than improved, those relationships.

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