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Just pocketing it

Both shopping and service are on the list of Gen Y priorities

TWO -WAY PROCESS Along with unrestricted access to money thanks to double-income families, are youngsters made familiar with social responsibility?

Simone was buying a recharge card for her cell when a beggar woman approached her asking for alms. Simone gave her the Rs. 2 from the change she got after paying for the recharge. Do we often come across youngsters like Simone who keep aside a little for charity from the money they get to spend, or is she a rarity?

The advent of nuclear and double income system families has made it easier for youngsters to have access to as much pocket money as they want. Parents don't mind being a little lenient with their kids by giving them money as and when they ask.

Social responsibility

"The maximum number of children in a family is two these days. If both your parents work,they will definitely want to give their children the best of everything and that includes a hefty sum as pocket money too," says Suhana, sociologist. But along with unrestricted access to money, are youngsters made familiar with social responsibility? Divya Mallya, mother of a teenaged son, feels: "Youngsters of today don't have much to do with charity. That's because certain values are not instilled in them in childhood. As a result, when they grow up they pamper themselves with all the money they get."

Many youngsters feel that charity and social work is best when done by the elders in the family. Children have to enjoy their carefree days without having to think about matters "heavy on their mind".

So what do they do with the pocket money they get? "Half of it goes on saving. Yes, I do contribute to charity, but it's more of social service than charity," says Rukmini Rai, an engineering student from NITTE. Her friend Lovelyn Rodrigues lists out that most of her pocket money goes on daily expenses for eating and travelling and the little savings she manages to do goes on buying gifts for friends.

But for someone like Hiba A. Kunil, journalism student at St. Aloysius College who hardly gets any pocket money, contributing to charity can be "really difficult. If I get pocket money, most of it goes on food. The other half I save and the rest of it goes on movies and popcorn. If I feel like splurging, then I go shopping too," says Hiba.

Anything for one's sibling? A classic example would be of Bunty Shetty, a student from KSHEMA, whose major chunk of pocket money is spent on his sister and her friends. Paying for the domestic help, travelling and medicines take care of the rest. An interesting trend is youngsters paying for themselves with their pocket money even while on a family outing. But they do influence their parents' purchasing decisions? A majority of them willingly go by their children's taste. Mallikarjuna, Property Manager, Bharat Mall, and wife Supriya vouch for this as they add: "Youngsters want their parents to buy good stuff. They decide what is `good' by the look of the product, style and media influence rather than quality and price. Ultimately, parents have to give in." Susheelan, Customer Service Manager, Big Bazaar, feels that owing to tremendous media exposure, Gen Y is well informed about products and services. So they are in a better position to decide the purchases. Spending or saving, shopping or travelling, Gen Y decides them all!

AMRITA NAYAK

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