Are Minneapolis’ kids more spoiled than St. Paul’s?
If a new survey is to be believed, Twin Cities kids are bratty on one side of the river and ratty on the other. Bundle.com ranked Minneapolis fourth in the nation (behind Manhattan, Brooklyn and Miami) in “spoiling” children, while St. Paul ranked second-to-last (“leading” only Madison, Wis.) in spending on kids. The study tracked three years of revenue at the two cities’ stores that sell toys, clothing and other services for tots, kids and teens. To the core cities’ myriad continuing feuds, we now add this?
“Not necessarily,” said developmental psychologist Marti Erickson. “There’s a lot of variability on both sides of the river and a lot in the suburbs. Some of that has to do with wealth, and some has to do with cultural attitudes and how people view success. “It’s possible that there is more materialism and more disposable income [in Minneapolis]. There’s a slicker, hipper kind of vibe, while St. Paul has a more traditional look. I don’t know if that would reflect on the underlying values.”
Annette Gagliardi on April 7, 2013
It is also possible that more of the stores people want to shop at are in Minneapolis.
tracking shopping habits and making assumptions around that one factor mean biased results. Researchers would need to interview shoppers for intent, financial means, proximity to the store, etc. Especially in a metropolitan area, folks go all over to shop. Even though I live in Minneapolis, I may shop in Anoka because it is on my way to my mother’s house, or next to my work site. (as an example)