This year is expected to see record spending on holiday gifts as American gift spending closes in on $1 trillion. A huge chunk of that expenditure is likely to be on our children, but they also seem to be asking for more too. Is it true? Are more aggressive ad campaigns to blame?

Host Deepa Fernandes puts that question and more to University of Virginia Professor Allison Pugh, author of “Longing and Belonging: Parents, Children, and Consumer Culture.” Pugh also shares some advice about how to parent amidst the consumerism onslaught.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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