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Replace the word “salary” with “allowance” and the results of a recent survey conducted by AK Tweens on how girls ages 8 to 15 have been affected by the economic downturn starts to sound a lot like the reports coming in from every other front. In a word: depressing. Hitting tweens where it hurts with their parents’ pocketbooks, the recession’s trickle-down effect has led to a significant increase in saving habits with more than half of the tweens lucky enough to still receive an allowance (there was a 16% decrease) to start stowing their funds away for a so-called rainy day .

And while the idea of tweens carefully guarding their Hannah Montana piggy banks does pull at the heartstrings a bit, I have to say I do see a few silver lining-type takeaways. My thoughts..

Increased transparency between parents and kids. In the past parents would have sheltered their kids more from the messy details of their financial situations. Now, even though they still might not talk about Mom or Dad’s quarterly earnings, older kids are a lot more aware of how the economy is affecting their families and as a a result, are more inclined to help them get back on track (i.e. by not asking for as much, preparing to get a job when they get old enough).

A lesson in smart spending. By learning the value of a “hard-earned dollar,” tweens today are grasping a concept that eluded most of us until we had our first jobs. Acquiring these savvy spending skills early will not only help them avoid impulsive buys and the subsequent remorse (Gak, anyone?), but it will also help them appreciate what they are able to buy for themselves all the more.

The end of that whole “spoiled” label. While Gen-Y has never really been able to throw off the whole “entitled, bunch of spoiled brats” rap they tend to get, the next generation actually stands a chance of avoiding it altogether. They have known hard times, and they won’t take what comes to them for granted.

For more coverage of the tween space, check out the Ypulse Tweens Channel, sponsored by the Tween Tribune.

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Categorized under: Tweens

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