Fair Trade News

Published May 26, 2006

Teens Spending On Causes They Care About
by Sara Underwood

(CBS4) Teenagers spend about $200 billion a year and a growing number of them are spending that money on causes they care about. So more and more companies are targeting this growing population of spenders.

We've all heard the expression "putting your money where your mouth is." And that's exactly what eighth graders Emma, Kayla and Therese are doing, to make a political stand.

The girls buy products like Fair Trade chocolate and Ethose water--specifically because they know part of the profits help support farmers and bring clean water to children.

"It's not difficult to help and little things that you do can really influence the lives of other people," says Emma Lewis.

Michael Woods' company researches teenage habits. He says making a clear link between a product and cause is a big draw for kids. "If you're a beverage company, make it about water, if you're a footwear company, make it about shoes."

Experts have found a growing number of teens now use their spending power to help causes they care about, but teens are also wary of being taken advantage of.

"Teens are watching very carefully to make sure that companies are involved in social causes and sponsoring social causes because it's the right thing to do and not just another marketing ploy."

Many teens are into "wearing their caring" with cause-related wrist bands and t-shirts and they want instant gratification.

"They don't want to plant a tree and come back 20 years later and see how much it's grown."

The kids say they research their causes carefully.

"Anything that catches my fancy I'll write down. And later when I get home I'll google it so I can learn about it,” says Therese Larue.

And Kayla Kleinman adds, "Even if we can't do as much as if we could if we were adults, it's still important that we're helping the way that we can help."

Recently Emma, Kayla and Therese held a fundraiser for Fair Trade and raised $4,000 for the cause.