May 30, 2005
'But I Neeeeeed It!' She Suggested
The New York Times has an interesting article on how parents are coping with their teenagers' demand for tech gadgets, and their struggle with how and how much to provide.
"According to Michael Wood, a vice president at Teenage Research Unlimited, which tracks youth buying patterns for more than 150 companies, "Whereas in the past it was an expensive pair of shoes or jeans - something on the fashion side - today the excitement and buzz is really around technology.
These items, which teenagers say they must have to maintain their place in the social pecking order, are increasingly out of reach for most high school students, who are less likely these days to hold part-time jobs.
Researchers who study child behavior call this pressure "nag factor" or "pester power," and often use it to describe how young children, in whom advertising has planted a desire for junk food or toys, lobby their parents. Now the same pestering is reaching a fever pitch among teenagers, who crave an ever-expanding collection of high-tech items they can't possibly afford.
The must-have items now - iPods, cellphones with cameras, and portable DVD players - are high-tech, constantly in need of upgrade and can cost up to $500 each.
The upshot is that more parents are finding themselves in the situation that Ms. Stangeland faced: footing the bill so their children can maintain social face."
The Permanent Link to this page is: http://www.textually.org/textually/archives/2005/05/008478.htm