Recession fails to lure teens away from designer labels, Foróige survey shows
OLIVIA KELLY
THE MAJORITY of teenagers would be unprepared to buy “high street” instead of designer clothes.
Neither would they be inclined to spend less on phone credit to ease the burden of the recession on their families, a survey commissioned by Foróige has found.
The survey of 252 teenagers from a variety of backgrounds found that while more than a quarter of their parents had lost jobs or sustained pay cuts, few teenagers reported any effect on their personal happiness.
More than two-thirds of those surveyed by Behaviour Attitudes for Foróige, the National Youth Development Organisation, said they had a holiday this year and 60 per cent said the money they spent on entertainment had not been cut. However, 53 per cent said their families as a whole had cut back on luxuries.
Almost three-quarters said the recession had either no great effect, or no effect at all on their happiness, with 22 per cent saying it had a slight effect and just 5 per cent reporting a significant effect.
When asked what they would do if their family was struggling due to money problems, 58 per cent said they would not ask for money as often, one-third said they would look for a part-time job and 12 per cent said they would eat less.
In terms of their spending, 45 per cent said they would spend less by buying high street clothes rather than designer labels or spend less on phone credit and 38 per cent said they would help by keeping a positive attitude. Some 7 per cent said they would make no changes at all.
The teenagers were finally asked whether they considered themselves a good or bad “global recession citizen”. They were told that “good” meant helping others and “bad” meant being selfish.
Three-quarters said they were quite good or very good, 12 per cent said they were “a little bad” and 2 per cent admitted to being “very bad”.
This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times
Of course this has to be looked at in a deeper way. Firstly most teens are not working in the recession and secondly it is easy to spend your parents money.
When are the parents - who are stretched as it is - going to turn to their children and say actually no you cannot have that and you will have to make do? Because they are heading for financial trouble if this behaviour persists. Alot of people are in serious trouble in this country yet teens think it is fine to demand designer gear still.
One wonders when the parents lose the house and they are homeless how much they will care then. Just wait till interest rates rise and see the volume of repocessions!
