Budget Survival Kids from In Petto

Young people are a vulnerable group in a society where materialism and consumerism plays an important role: often, they are incited to buy expensive things they cannot necessarily afford, such as Internet facilities, mobile phones, laptops, MP3's, digital TVs inter alia.

To help protect young people from mass media manipulation and prevent them from engaging into unnecessary credits, the Flemish Youth Service for Information and Prevention In Petto developed a prevention campaign to inform youngsters and warn them about the dangers of making debts.

Young people do not know enough about loans and credits. They did not always learn to manage the budget, and sometimes they experience difficulties in assessing the impact of loans. Therefore, more and young adults are overwhelmed with debts, often seeking, and not always finding help.

Concerned with such trends in the society in Belgium, In Petto interviewed young adults who are in debt mediation, gathering their experiences and tips to prevent the tendency spreading further. In co-operation with young adults, a small focus group further discussed the issues to be dealt with to help prevent debts among young people. 

As a result of the discussions&debates of the problematic,

• Youngsters interviewed have come up with the slogan of the campaign "No more credits, game over"
• In Petto distributed and ensured publication of 10.000 posters with the slogan, distributing them in youth clubs, schools, and institutions
• A websitewww.budgetsurvivalkids.be with testimonials and extra information was created