THEY are MTV's choice of a new generation - nourished on the designer slogans of Nike and bred on the basic instincts of media icons like Madonna. Here in Hong Kong, as in any other cultural hot-bed, they are relegated to a ghetto in the dizzy heights of Park View and Mid-Levels. Meet the Superbrats - the high-profile expatriate who many view with as much awe as horror. Stereotyped or true to life - that is the question. For these crusaders, being labelled rich, bored and spoilt does more than cause a few sore egos. Tim, an 18-year-old who declined to give his real name, wishes to set the record straight. ''Just becauseyou go to an international school and your dad drives the company Porsche does not mean you're a brat. People always criticise stuff they don't understand.'' Tim, like many of his peers, feels increasingly confined in Hong Kong. ''We're bored hanging out at parties. There's nothing left to do, short of picking a fight.'' The plight of the expatriate teen is not exactly breaking new territory. The media constantly portrays images of privileged youths - a stereotype Tim and many of his friends feel inadequate. Such prejudices provoked a group of Island School students to redress the balance in Superbrats, a montage of sketches staged as part of the Hong Kong Youth Arts Festival last October. ''The biggest problem I have is dealing with broken friendships as people come and go all the time,'' said Eleanor Mathews, a fourth former, who was part of the Superbrats production. Born and raised in Hong Kong, she does not feel culturally alienated but admits that much of her frustration stems from being perceived in a one-dimensional way. ''It's sad how people are only concerned with whom you're related to - it's so materialistic here,'' she said. Being of a mixed heritage does not make it any easier as, according to her, ''people can't accept you as an individual''. The novelty of moving to a new city may also be waning for the newly-arrived settlers. The Governor's daughter, Alice Patten, a fourth former at the Island School, has been in Hong Kong for one-and-a-half years, and is already feeling restless. ''In London there was a mix of cultures,'' she said, ''whereas here, there are many cliques where no one really has their own separate identity.'' Like Eleanor, she hangs out at cinemas and restaurants but wishes that more in terms of entertainment could be provided for youngsters of her age group. This confusing search for individuality is perhaps common ground for all teenagers, and not specific to the expatriate community, as many think. For some, being in an international school offers the solace of a common teenage identity that such an environment promotes. According to David James, principal of the Island School, one of the advantages of being in an international school is that it permits teenagers to encounter different creeds and religions, while keeping them in touch with their own particular culture. ''Teenagers here are given the chance to learn about each other, as they spend a half semester on each religion. We also have good relations with St Steven's School, a prominent local school and run a summer bridge camp for Vietnamese children,'' he said. Contact with local Chinese teenagers may be limited, given the language and cultural barriers. But Chris Ayres, a Sixth Former at the Island School, feels that ''one can get across things even if one can't speak the language''. He gets to meet a wide variety of nationalities through friendly hockey matches between schools and spends his leisure time at the Wan Chai sports ground.
