How to make children happy? Reduce social inequality | Kate Pickett

damage that high income inequality and consumerism are the well-being of the family presents a new UNICEF report

UNICEF UK research published today in the impact of inequality and consumerism in our children, contains some unpleasant truths that our politicians must recognize, as outlined in the report.

shine a light on the complex network of family and social forces and processes that affect the lives of children, the comparison of families in the UK, very unequal, more equitable in Spain, and much more equality in Sweden. Dr Agnes Nairn, a marketing expert and author of the report and the research group Ipsos Mori brought new ideas and innovative methods to achieve - giving life to academic studies of child welfare, inequality and materialism - and welcomed the report an enlightening and powerful.

evidence that high levels of income inequality have a serious impact on families and still counting. The inequality directly affects the health and well-being of parents and others. Levels of adult abuse and mental illness drugs are significantly higher in more unequal societies, which means that a disproportionate number of British children grow up in families affected by these problems. And social cohesion is damaged by inequality, so that more children are exposed to violence and conflict, low levels of trust, the increase in bullying and bad relationships among their social peers.

Inequality also has indirect effects on family life. Because competition is the largest in the world's most unequal, money and consumer goods higher, so that adults work long hours, saving less and are more likely to go into debt - the sum the stress of family life. Unfortunately, there are those who earn the lowest wages and the struggle for life that are under increased pressure to demonstrate their value and status by consumerism.

• The impact of stress on family life in the UK is clearly demonstrated in research, British parents are tired, overworked and stressed as a point where it is difficult to find the time and energy that children enjoy the most - out of time with the family and shared interests. Families in Spain and Sweden seem to have a much greater capacity to support these activities.

This research has given voice to families and children and allows us to see the realities of family life, digging in the statistics that have been showing a number of years, how bad our children are compared to other rich countries. In the study, parents and children have powerful stories of how inequality and materialism affect well-being, at a time when the need for a thorough understanding of these issues has never been greater .

Following the recent political turmoil, and the public are looking for causes and reasons. While some dismiss the actions of the agitation and violence as a crime of an "underclass wild," beyond the control of parents and teachers to understand the profound effects of inequality and poverty on family life and parent can help children to understand why our society has shown that fertile ground for the seeds of unrest. In addition to affecting the health and social cohesion, the most unequal societies with low social mobility and school failure, which offers fewer opportunities for children to realize their hopes and dreams.

Finally, the project of UNICEF UK, offers reasons for hope and optimism. Children universally report happiness and satisfaction of time with family and friends - that attract attention and shared activities, instead of more. Our children are not naturally greedy and materialistic, and we must listen and think the way - as parents, guardians, policy makers and politicians - can come together to give priority to the simple things that compose them (and us) happy and help them thrive. It's easy, given the demands of competition, cut funding for parks, youth clubs, libraries and activity centers, but these things are important for our children and our society.
government, employers and the public can promote well-being and the contribution of today's adults and children and future generations by supporting measures to improve the welfare of family - the fight against too high in social inequality in the United Kingdom, unprecedented in recent decades, would be a good place to start.

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