What do you consider a luxury?
Vincent Wong, 17, Wah Yan College, Hong Kong
Freedom. People have died fighting for freedom throughout history. I think there are two forms of freedom which are often scarce but that everyone should have. First is freedom of speech, which some governments today still try to suppress. It's important because it allows information to be shared and opinions voiced. Second is freedom of equal opportunities. This means everyone should have the same chances, regardless of their background. For example, children from poor families should have the same opportunities to study as children from rich families.
Benson Chan, 17, Wah Yan College, Hong Kong
To most people, 'luxury' means riding in a limousine or going on holiday to an exclusive resort. But why is that? Do we think that by spending our hard-earned cash on big cars, weekend spas, caviar and gold-plated taps we're buying happiness? Like everything of great importance, true luxury cannot be bought. To me, true luxury refers to things you already have, which you have been too busy to care about and which are slowly fading away. For instance, old clothes with patches lovingly sewn on by your mother are more luxurious than new ones. This is simply because the old ones are more than just pieces of cloth. I don't think most of the things the media describes as 'luxurious' actually are. It's too easy to be tricked into believing that fancily packaged goods automatically mean luxury.
Yoon Hur, 17, German Swiss International School
The simple things we take for granted - our parents, clothes, housing - are no different from the usual luxuries like sports cars. A luxury is just something that satisfies an indulgence, rather than a necessity. Having both parents doesn't guarantee you a longer life than an orphan, and we can still breathe even if we don't wear the latest fashions. I count family, clothes and housing as luxuries because they are not biologically needed for survival, but I am lucky enough to have them whenever I want them.
