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SCMP Reporter

Give your extra money to charity
I'd like to share my views about teenagers who are becoming increasingly brand-conscious.
They are prepared to pay a lot of money for well-known labels, such as Levi's, Westwood and Agnes b.
Nowadays, many parents earn more money than their counterparts from previous generations.
In today's materialistic society, some students are willing to pay  as much as HK$500 for a pair of jeans or HK$1,000 for a school bag.
Teenagers don't consider the cost; they just want to be fashionable.
They will buy something even if it is not useful just because their friends have it.
This is a waste of money.
I strongly believe that parents can persuade their children not to buy luxury products.
Instead, they can give the money to charity.
I hope  teenagers will think of the needy before they buy expensive clothes or gadgets.
Tang Kuen-shun, Christian Alliance S. C. Chan Memorial College
Friendship first
I went camping recently. In my group, there were three boys and two girls who I had never met before.
We won the first game but lost the others.
What disappointed me most was not the result, but my group leader putting all the blame on me.
However, I didn't feel guilty because I really enjoyed the process.
Friendship is more important than victory.
Yan Siu-fung
Don't hurt others by word or deed
Many people do what they want and ignore others' feelings.
They may scold someone for no reason or ask them to follow 'orders'.
They don't realise that their behaviour will hurt their friends, relatives or colleagues deeply. They won't even say sorry because they think it is just a game.
Some victims may say 'Never mind' or 'I don't care what you say', but this does not mean that they should tolerate irresponsible behaviour.
You should care more about others.  Please don't hurt someone by word or deed.
Chow Wai-kuen, Fung Kai Liu Man Shek Tong Secondary School
Faulty goods harm China's image
The mainland's image has been tarnished by a series of product scandals over the past few months.
Western countries, including the United States, found that several Chinese products, such as toothpaste, electric heaters, car tyres and toys, failed to meet the required safety standards.
I agree with the recall of these goods because they contained harmful materials. If the authorities ignore this problem, the public could suffer.
But, in my opinion, western nations had hidden motives behind the crackdown on faulty goods from the mainland.
Chinese-made products are swamping markets around the world. So the US wants to protect its manufacturers.
The Americans are concerned about China's rapid economic growth and this was a good opportunity to expose the mainland's shortcomings.
Florence
Let's have more social enterprises
In his policy address, Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen said that the government will pay greater attention to underprivileged people.
He outlined plans to set up social enterprises to create more jobs and help the community. In Sham Shui Po and Cheung Sha Wan, social industries have helped families improve their living standards.
The co-operatives, which collect discarded items, such as furniture, computers, books, toys and kitchen utensils, offer cheap household products to the public while helping to reduce waste.
These are meaningful projects that should be encouraged.  The landfills in Hong Kong are reaching capacity, so recycling discarded goods is one way to solve the problem.  I suggest that the government promote more social enterprises in disadvantaged areas, such as Tin Shui Wai.
The new town has been labelled the 'City of Sadness' in the wake of several shocking family tragedies. It's time the authorities did something to help the residents.
Nicholas Kwan, Fung Kai Liu Man Shek Tong Secondary School
Gifted children need special attention
I don't think it's a blessing to be a gifted child. These children need special attention in areas, such as education and social interaction.
They could be easily bored in a normal classroom  that could cause them to drop out of school.
Some parents overlook their  children's special skills because they may look uninterested or cause trouble at home.
Gifted children are  curious  and prefer to socialise with adults. This is because they find adults more intellectually stimulating than their peers.
Therefore, they may not have many friends in school.
Some gifted children  may even suffer from Asperger's Syndrome (a disorder characterised by major difficulties in social interaction).  And students with the disorder may not be allowed to participate in their school's gifted programme because teachers don't know how to handle them.
So they cannot develop their potential.
Considering the difficulties faced by these students, I don't think being gifted is entirely a good thing.
Children with special talents face severe pressure.  If I had a child, I would want him/her to be healthy and pleasant rather than be gifted.
Michelle Lam Suet-kiu, SKH Lam Kau Mow Secondary School



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