When 14-year-old Muhammed Amr, a student at a British curriculum school in Sharjah, asked his father for the new iPhone 16, his father, Saeed, was taken aback. “At first, I couldn’t make sense of what he was saying,” recalled the Egyptian. “I was so surprised that I couldn’t respond right away.” After a brief pause, Saeed asked his son again, “Are you serious, or are you joking?” He wondered what must have prompted his son, who already has a smartphone, to demand such an expensive upgrade.

When asked, Muhammed explained that he felt left out when his friends flaunted their new iPhones. “Most of my classmates got the latest iPhone as a gift for passing their exams. They talk about it all the time,” said Muhammed. Some parents in the UAE have voiced concerns that peer pressure among schoolchildren is leading to increased financial strain. Some parents said they spend as much as Dh3,000 monthly to meet their children’s demands for the latest gadgets, clothes, and accessories.

Initially, Muhammed’s requests were polite. However, as time passed, they turned into demands, and Saeed finally gave in and purchased an iPhone 16 that cost him nearly Dh5,200. “It was not a planned expense, but he kept feeling out of place in front of his friends,” said Saeed, an engineer at a construction. “We didn’t want him to go through that.” For Saeed, it’s not just about buying gadgets, it’s about the growing pressure to ensure their children don’t feel excluded. “We are trying to teach him the value of money, but this peer pressure is overwhelming,” Saeed added. And the spending didn’t stop there: “After a few days, he asked for earphones and other gadgets. That’s when I had to put my foot down.”

The craze is not just for gadgets or games; thirteen-year-old Amna Malik loves collecting shoes. The Dubai resident owns more than 12 pairs of sneakers, but it wasn’t enough. “Her friends were showing off the latest high-end sneakers from a popular brand,” said Nida Malik, Amna’s mother. Amna, who studied in an Indian curriculum school, didn't just want any shoes; they had to be limited editions, making them rarer and more coveted. “It wasn’t just about having the shoes,” said Nida. “It was about having something exclusive, something her friends couldn’t easily get.” Nida spoke to Amna’s teachers about her growing demands. “Her class teacher asked the students how many pairs of shoes they owned, and Amna had the most,” said Nida. The sneaker she was asking for cost more than Dh700. Realising that she already owned the most shoes in her class made Amna rethink her demands.

After visiting a classmate’s birthday party, nine-year-old Gabrial Kiwan was fascinated with the PlayStation he saw there. “He kept asking to go to his friend’s house after that,” said Elijah, Gabrial’s father. “At first, I didn’t understand why.” After speaking with the friend’s parents, Elijah learned that the boys were spending their time playing video games. A few days later, Gabrial started asking for his own PlayStation, which costs around Dh2,000. “He told me all his friends have it and they always talk about new games,” said Elijah. While Elijah initially resisted the idea, he eventually realised how much pressure his son was under to keep up with his peers. “It’s not just the console. You have to buy games and accessories, which all add up monthly. Peer pressure is becoming more expensive than we imagined. Sometimes our budget crosses over Dh3,000 a month because of the demands,”

Some parents are facing similar challenges, juggling their children’s social and emotional needs with managing the growing financial burden. “Peer pressure is a constant battle. It’s not just gadgets or clothing, but also experiences like school trips and after-school activities,” said Nida. Some families report spending far more than they had budgeted to ensure their children don’t feel left out. This financial strain has caused many to rethink their household budgets. “We are spending way more than we planned, just to make sure our kids don’t feel excluded,” said Nida.

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