Children between the ages of 7 and 14 are already reshaping what American families buy, according to research that casts the youngest consumer generation as “the youngest chief influence officers.” A survey by public-relations firm DKC found that parents of Gen Alpha children estimate 42 percent of all household spending is influenced by their child’s opinions, rising to 49 percent in high-income homes. The DKC survey, which polled parents of children ages 8 to 14, also found the age group is directly spending $101 billion per year, in addition to the influence they hold over their parents’ wallets. A separate large-scale survey by PwC documents the digital habits and category-by-category influence driving those numbers.
Scale of the surveys
PwC surveyed two separate groups: 1,004 children ages 7 to 14 and 1,009 parents of children in that age range between January 29 and February 13, 2026. Respondents were broadly representative of the U.S. population across gender, region, income levels, and child age groups.
The PwC report, released in March 2026, is among the first large-scale studies to measure the purchasing influence of Generation Alpha, broadly defined as those born from 2010 onward, against the direct perceptions of their parents.
The report describes Gen Alpha as having been “born with the buy button at their fingertips.” While Gen Z, the next oldest generational cohort, are often dubbed digital natives, the report notes that Gen Alpha spent their earliest years during the Covid pandemic going to school on screens, and may be even more immersed in technology.
Where children say they hold sway
Nearly all (97 percent) of children say they have at least some influence over clothing and accessories purchases, a view largely shared by parents, 94 percent of whom acknowledge that sway.
The gap widens in other categories: when asked about their influence on skincare and beauty products, 81 percent of kids report influence compared to 61 percent of parents.
Food and drinks are the most common purchases among kids, cited by 72 percent, followed by toys at 57 percent and clothing at 55 percent. Digital spending is also widespread: more than half report buying apps or downloads, and many spend money within games.
Nearly half (46 percent) of 7- to 9-year-olds already own a smartphone, a figure that jumps to 89 percent among those aged 13 to 14.
Whether on their own phones or their parents’, they are making purchases on them. Twelve percent of those aged 7 to 9 say they have bought products using digital wallets.
Social media outpaces every other discovery channel
Three in five kids in PwC’s survey say social media influences what they want, more than television, in-store browsing, or influence from peers. About 72 percent own a smartphone, and the cohort averages 3.6 hours of recreational screen time daily.
This is not a generation that simply asks for things. They strategize. Sixty-one percent of kids say they add desired items to birthday or holiday wish lists, an approach that demonstrates planning and technical sophistication.
More than half (52 percent) of 7- to 14-year-olds report having added items to shared online shopping carts , rather than relying on handwritten notes.
The pattern echoes broader findings about how children’s consumer instincts are maturing faster than prior generations expected. Earlier research on American teenagers retreating indoors found that screen-centered routines are increasingly replacing face-to-face social activity, a dynamic that appears to accelerate product discovery through digital channels rather than storefronts.
What it means for brands and parents
Gen Alpha may not hold a credit card, but they are influencing how their parents’ cards are used. They research products online, discover brands through social platforms, and advocate for purchases at home. In many cases, they are forming brand preferences years before they have meaningful spending power of their own.
The PwC report notes a disconnect between what children believe and what parents acknowledge across spending categories, particularly where purchases happen quickly and digitally. Children may be overestimating their influence, conflating having an opinion with decision-making, a gap that is already prompting beauty and apparel retailers to rethink how they market to young people.
The generational shift also carries longer-term financial weight. Research-based advisory firm McCrindle projects that Gen Alpha’s economic footprint will reach $5.46 trillion by 2029.
For now, as researchers note in broader work on how adult social habits are reshaping daily life, the household itself has become an unexpected arena where the youngest members are quietly rewriting the rules of consumer decision-making.
