Too much money for too small pockets

KOLKATA: The teen jet-setter is living the good life in times of inflation and pay freezes - and living it up dangerously. A sneak peak into the lives of Gen Y reveals startling facts: a heady mix of alcohol, cigarettes and "soft" drugs. A generation that can't wait for the future to arrive.
Stealing and lying come naturally to those constantly desperate to stretch their limits.
Even 10 years ago, the phrase 'pocket money' meant a couple of hundred-rupee notes from parents at the beginning of the month. This amount was considered enough, mutually. Not any more. TOI spoke to children of at least 10 top schools in the city and found that kids from Class VIII onwards look for anything between Rs 4,000 and Rs 5,000 a month. Obviously, this doesn't come for the asking. So, stealing is the most common way out.
Schools came up with stories of kids wanting to acquire every new bauble on shop shelves - be it that designer cigarette laced with drugs or something simpler as a branded T-shirt or a pub session. Teens want them all just because they have to be part of the "gang". Add the fact that most parents are too busy these days to sit down for a persuasive chat with rebellious teens and would rather give in to their demands and you have the makings of a spoiled kid who would stop at nothing.
Take the example of Abhinav (names of all the children have been changed), a Class XII student. He has been regularly stealing money from his parents despite getting a hefty amount as pocket money every month. He is not even apologetic. "My allowance is Rs 4,000 but it's not enough to cover my expenses. My parents refuse to increase it. So I have no option but to take some cash out of the cupboard where money is kept for household requirements," Abhinav reasoned. His friends know about it and even "hero-worship" him for having the guts to do such a thing and splurge on his "gang".
Surya, too, steals from his parents and spends most of it on cigarettes. He easily goes through two packs a day. And how does he camouflage his breath when he returns home? "Oh, that's easy. I pop a couple of mints. At home I smoke either on the terrace or in my bathroom only after my parents are asleep," he boasts.
How do 15-year-olds get into nightclubs? "They don't ask for certificates to prove our age. It's easy for any well built 15-year-old to pass for 18," says Arkajyoti, a 17-year-old boy.
For Raisa, it's another story. In addition to a fixed amount, she gets money whenever she demands. Her pocket money is spent on fast food, alcohol, clothing, gift articles, mobile bills, chocolates, cosmetics and outings with friends. "I get around Rs 3,000 per month but that's not enough. So I keep asking my mother for more," said Tanvi, a Class VII student of a renowned school in south Kolkata.
A study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) has found that schoolchildren's pocket money has risen six fold - from Rs 300 to Rs 1,800 a month - over the last 10 years, in keeping with the rise in parents' income levels. The study, 'Trends of Pocket Money in Urban Areas' - under the aegis of ASSOCHAM Social Development Foundation - involving 3,000 children from New Delhi, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Kolkata and Chennai found that spending habits of children in the 10-17 age group have evolved due to technological revolutions and changing eating habits.
"We understand that prices of everything have shot up and our kids need more pocket money. I give my son around Rs 1,000 when he goes out with friends, but he often keeps asking for amounts like Rs 200 and I oblige so long as he doesn't spend it on anything harmful like cigarettes and booze," said Meghna Agarwal, mother of a schoolgoing teenager.
School authorities are quite peeved at this trend. Some schools like La Martiniere for Boys, St James, Pratt Memorial, Don Bosco Park Circus hold regular talks with parents so that they ration pocket money. "Marketing and branding has reached new heights these days. Everyone is targeting the teenager. Naturally, he is gullible and, in turn, parents are forced to give in. Banks these days are luring kids to have credit cards of their own," said Mukta Nain, principal of Birla High School for Boys. T H Ireland, principal of St James School, said, "When parents give out anything beyond Rs 500 a month, they should know that their children are not spending the money on innocent buys."