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SCMP Reporter

MOST teenagers believe in a simple and thrifty lifestyle, but a large number nevertheless feel driven to maintain extravagant buying habits.

   This was one of the findings of a recent survey on 'Young People's Spending Pattern and their Values on Money'. The survey was commissioned by the Hong Kong Junior Chamber of Commerce and conducted by the Social Science Research Centre of the University of Hong Kong.

    A randomly chosen group of 589 teenagers between 15 and 19 years were interviewed on three different areas: their buying or consumption pattern, the factors that influence their buying patterns, and how they perceived the ways they obtained money.

   More than half of the respondents admitted they spent money on 'non-necessity' products like CDs, photo cards and comic books, while about 30 per cent said they frequented entertainment venues like karaoke bars and billiard centres.

  One-fourth said they spent most of their pocket money on entertainment, averaging $876 a month.

  The young people's behaviour patterns did not, however, match their idea of a sensible student lifestyle - 84 per cent of the respondents believed that students should not spend extravagantly.

  Money was not given top priority by most. While around 10 per cent saw money as the most important element in life, 82 per cent took the opposite view.

  But the findings did reveal flaws in moral judgment.

  Nine per cent said they might use 'improper' ways to obtain money so long as they could get away with it.

  Almost one fourth said it was acceptable to them if they knew their friends were getting extra money by improper means, and over 28 per cent expected their peers to accept them if they did the same.

   It was also revealed that peers held somewhat greater sway than pop idols over young people and their spending patterns.

   Sixty-seven per cent said their consumption patterns were not affected by their friends, while almost 90 per cent said their idols had no influence at all on the way they spent money.

  The major influence was found to be the mass media. Forty-eight per cent said they learned about the latest trends and fashions from magazines and television, while 30 per cent picked up the trends from their friends.

  In general, teenagers showed a strong inclination to go for brand names and expensive products.

   Over 20 per cent admitted they wanted to buy brand name goods to avoid being teased by peers who had them. Over one-third said it was something to be proud of if they were the first in their set to possess a new brand name product on the market.

   Ronald Ho, president of the Hong Kong Junior Chamber of Commerce, said young people were vulnerable to the influence of their peers.

  'Family, school and the media have a big responsibility in helping young people to build up a sound set of values and to think for themselves in a healthy way,' he said.



Fun eats up the pocket money