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Introduction
Learning and teaching consumer related skills, attitudes and knowledge is a complicated process. It takes many different forms, but we seldom express these differences; it is just called "consumer socialisation". One distinct difference in socialisation processes is the difference between primary socialisation (prominent in childhood) and secondary socialisation (prominent in adulthood). While primary socialisation is concerned with the establishment of a framework to function in society, secondary socialisation relates to adjustment to this framework. We argue that with regard to small high-tech and computer related products, parents are likely to be secondarily socialised by their children.
The idea of the young educating the old is not new, but it has seldom been addressed in consumer behaviour studies. In terms of consumer socialisation, it has been said that there is a need for a better understanding of how parents acquire new consumer information from their children and the specific types of attitudes, values, and behaviours acquired from children over their lifecycle ([13] Ekström, 2006; [31] Moschis, 1987).
One of the most rapidly changing contexts for the contemporary consumer is that of information and communication technology ([1] Anderson et al. , 2007). Older consumers would need to adjust their behaviour in order to meet current changes because many products commonly used today did not exist 20 years ago. The young might be the most important socialisation agents for adult consumers, because they did not have to adapt to these changes - they were born into a technological society. Learning about these products for adult consumers will therefore have to be done through secondary consumer socialisation - they need to update their framework. The young on the other hand, may have established a different framework because they were primarily socialised with these new product categories. Consequently, the young may have gained expert power over the old.
2. Literature review
Consumer socialisation
Consumer socialisation has generated a significant amount of research over the years, particularly in relation to marketing to children ([13] Ekström, 2006; [20] John, 1999). The most common definition of consumer socialisation is the seminal definition offered by [37] Ward (1974 p. 2) "the process by which young people acquire skills, knowledge, and attitudes relevant to their functioning as consumers in the marketplace." The focus on...