May 15, 2008
Value
Today i and one of my colleague (and a dear friend) had gone to an impromptu lunch to Ten Downing Street (TDS). We were quite surprised to see decent number of people at the restaurant on a working day at that hour. There were few people like us who’d come from office. But there were quite a large number of teenagers. And they were all dressed up nicely, and were not at all new to that place!!
I am very sure except for few people like us who’d come directly come from office, were not even more than 20 years old. There were some 6-7 groups and 3-4 couples of these teenagers. They were chatting, laughing aloud and having fun. And this is not at all new these days.
Teenagers like these nowadays going to CCDs and Barista and Pizza Hut is not a new phenomenon. As a matter of fact, they also go to pubs and such restaurants quite regularly. And to feature on Page 3 of leading news paper is something very essential for their glamour quotient!
I remember, when i was doing my under graduation, we used to calculate how can we go to a restaurant or have our share of paani- puri from the left over money! Then we used to manipulate by spending only Rs.80 on petrol instead on Rs. 100 and so on and so forth!
But going to CCD (and some 3-4 years ago the prices were not as low as they are now!) or to a plush restaurant was something which we had to plan. Even while going on a date, we sometimes had to calculate how much can we spend today!! But we never cribed about it. We had fun even with limited amount of money and resources.
But now the situation is so different. These boys and girls spend money like anything, they seems to have lost the value of it. This is so strange. I also spend a lot. I love to spend money on clothes and food. But i started spending like this only when i started earning it. And same applies to people around me.
Looking at these people, and the way they are spending, what conclusion can we draw? Are parents giving too much liberty to them? Or are they offering everything which is even uttered by their children? If yes, then why? Don’t they have a track of how the money is actually being spent?
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25 comments:
May be life is calling them and they need to answer! ;)
welcome back Radhika :)
Gosh!! The more I read about these things, the more I feel like I am so out of touch and am OLD!!
@ ashish,
hmmm but they can anser it in some other way also.. or may be after they start earning?!?!
@ ashu,
Thanx buddy... :)
@ solitaire,
Dont feel that way... things are changing very fast.. its just that we don;t change it that way...
omg... so me!!!
even my friends blame me of screwing so many trips coz of lack of money when i was doin my masters even!!!
and i really wonder that when they will realise d worth of money.. WHEN???
i really agree with every word u said in the last para and i have the same questions too!!!
Have fun... and thnx for dropping by...blogrolled u!!!
Cheers!!!
That was sarcastic dumbo kaaku...
@ ankur,
Hey thanx a lot.. :)
and my pleasure to blogroll ya as well.. :
@ ashish,
you idiot kaka, i understood it.. i think u didn;t understand my reply.. :P
thanks for an EYE opEner..
i recently heard abt a guy who's studying mechanical engg. that guy asked his dad for Rs 1 lakh(yes, u r reading right) saying that he needs that amount for his project and when his father came to his college, he showed him some machine in the lab n claimed that it's the one which he bought.
so it's always not the parents who provide too much freedom but it's the children who cheat them.
but as u said, we r out-dated if we compare ourselves with the teens of today
First off all...thanx for dropping in my blog...and coming to your post...yeah certainly teenagers are spending the money in a great deal...and also bluffing their parents...surprisingly their parents are bearing and backing them.. :(
PS:even i'm also a teenager..but not that kind,who spends much money :)
@ idrish,
Thanx for dropping by! :)
@satish,
yes , obvisouly not all he times the parents are reluctant to know the fact, but they trust their wards and then get cheated...
@ krishna kumar,
oh okay... good to read that u r not a part of this force... and even i am not that old you see, just few years ago i was also amongst you, but today's scenario is making us feel that way.. :((
and thanx for droppin by..
i knw its kinda sad but i sure will b complainin if things were any diffrnt!!
:) i agree!
Yes, m 20, but def have a lil more sense ...
the point is they dnt know hows nt havin mny...so they spend.. value of anything needs to be realised frst...
I have a completely different take on this...
I dont believe/approve of the rationale of "when we were young we did not/ could not/did not want to"...according to me its a " communists" syndrome which most elders suffer from, especially in our society. This is understandable given the fact that we as a country were poor and a luxurious lifestyle was supppose to be only for the "damned rich creatures of God".
But,an important aspect that we fail to notice in all these ideologies is the lack of " ASPIRATION". It was Aspiration which was fundamental to Americas quest for glory in the Industrial revolution...it was Aspiration which drove the japanese to unparalled efficiency in socio- economic development through technology advancements in the late 80's...its the same aspiration which is driving the chinese today in their quest to become the world's superpower!. Not surprisingly, it is only lately that we see a young generation of Indian entrepreneurs trying to change things around.
The phenomenon of the young generation enjoying a seemingly luxurious lifestyle is at the most manifestation of their need for a more " Aspirational" future.
When I look back at my childhood I realize the fact that probably one of the biggest factors that influenced me to remain competitive( another form of aspiration) is my parents attitude. I got everything I wanted without any fuss ( Not that my parents were rich by any standards!), but everytime I got it I was shown a bigger pie...While my bro bought me a bike..he made me dream of a car...while my father spent heavily on my rather expensive dressing habits..he made me look at more expensive brands...while my mom paid for all my parties..she kept telling me of her dreams...I truly believe it is this approach which makes people " ASK FOR MORE"..as the dish TV advertisement keeps us reminding.." Thoda aur wish Karo..." this leads individuals, familiy, society, and finally the country explore the unexplored.
So the next time I see a brand new sony play station I wont even wait for my niece to utter it!.I'll just buy it for her...but...I''ll also tell her about the more luxurious things which I cant afford....and then ask her if she is up for it!
pehle to lemme thank u for considering me as a "Dear Friend".... Second, these youngsters have started giving us vibes that yesss.... you are too old to be in the young league....
@ gunj,
yeah may be.. but how?
@ d sinner,
even i am not too old buddy :D
but happy to know that you belong to that group who still haev value for things!
@ prashant,
You were one of those lucky and prudent fellows who actually valued whatever was given to you. and this was done unconsciously! that is why today when you see something, you aspire to acquire it, or to gift it to somebody only because you can afford it, and you have value for that!
i am not saying everybody who belongs to this group is a irrational buyer! obviously, as you said, the revolutions in industry and innovations are all the foundation of spending habits of people, no denying the fact.
But, there is a class for everyhting (remember segmentation>???!!)unfortunately, not all the consumers understand that there is everything for them in their class, and as the dish TV commercial, they also have varied packages for everybody.
I am happy that you thought over it so profoundly.
Thanx a lot for dropping by! :)
@ shraddha,
it is completely my pleasure! :)
exactly, you said it. they don't earn may be that's why they don't recognize the value... :)
You are very true...but what you saw in the food parlour is the result of nothing but what we say "Show Business"
Thanks to the commercial growth !
@ rushabh,
that's correct.. may be they just want to flaunt..
sawaal jiska jawab nahin:-)...on a serious note..i guess its another thing of the younger generation..they have too much...too easily...are questioned less...though what I wonder always is that even if I was i was their age today..i doubt if i could go that road...my parents wud have spanked me black n blue:-p
@ d sinner,
even i am not too old buddy :D
38 IS old Radhika !
@ ashish,
38, yes it is old.. but i need to wait for 25 years to attain that age you see... :D
its the aspirational lifestyle radhika... ever increasing and always asking for MORE...
and the worse part is that its infectous :)
blog pa darshan kab de rahe ho?
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