4 ms·

But who controls the purse strings? I feel like in the United States teenagers have a large say in the purchasing power of their parents. Including not so cheap

But who controls the purse strings? I feel like in the United States teenagers have a large say in the purchasing power of their parents. Including not so cheap items like gaming consoles, feature phones, clothing, maybe even cars. You can even include college tuition (potentially the second or third most expensive purchase of a parent's life) in this. Is it the same in China? Genuinely curious.

stingraycharles 10y ago
Having spent a considerable part of my life in China, I can definitely say this is the case, if not even more so. There is a tendency for parents to spoil their children.
- iliketosleep 10y ago
  yeah, it does seem to be how the poorly educated in china express love towards their children. spoil them like hell. it is weird seeing teenagers from poor rural families with iPhones! several months of a farmer's earnings. but hey, their kid has "face" in front of their classmates, which is all that seems to matter..
nitrogen 10y ago
Is it actually common for parents to pay their kids' tuition? In China or in the US? Everyone I know well had to pay their own way (in the US), and their grades usually suffered for it.
- justinlardinois 10y ago
  I have no idea about China, but in the US, unless you're going to community college, tuition is so high that either your parents are paying it or you're going into debt to pay it. If you're lucky (and "poor enough") you can get enough financial aid that the burden on your parents and your debt is minimal.
eva1984 10y ago
Smartphones are really cheap in China, 100 bucks, you can buy a XiaoMi/Meizu phone with 5-inch screen and smooth internet experience, iPhone is nowhere that dominant in China and more like a luxury item for some to prove their identity. Gaming console, not really, Chinese parents hate stuff that are dedicated to games because they believe it will distract their kids from study. Cars, no way. It is still some of the most expensive items in China and buy your kids a car is something most families won't even think about, only the richest can afford. College tuition on the other hand is pretty cheap, most good university in China are public schools, and heavily government sponsored, the tuition is like 1500 dollars a year, so not a big deal for average family.
_0ffh 10y ago
Given that probably >95% of Chinese children are single children, I think it's safe to assume that many of them will get quite spoiled by their parents.

stingraycharles 10y ago

Having spent a considerable part of my life in China, I can definitely say this is the case, if not even more so. There is a tendency for parents to spoil their children.

iliketosleep 10y ago
yeah, it does seem to be how the poorly educated in china express love towards their children. spoil them like hell. it is weird seeing teenagers from poor rural families with iPhones! several months of a farmer's earnings. but hey, their kid has "face" in front of their classmates, which is all that seems to matter..

nitrogen 10y ago

Is it actually common for parents to pay their kids' tuition? In China or in the US? Everyone I know well had to pay their own way (in the US), and their grades usually suffered for it.

justinlardinois 10y ago
I have no idea about China, but in the US, unless you're going to community college, tuition is so high that either your parents are paying it or you're going into debt to pay it. If you're lucky (and "poor enough") you can get enough financial aid that the burden on your parents and your debt is minimal.

eva1984 10y ago

Smartphones are really cheap in China, 100 bucks, you can buy a XiaoMi/Meizu phone with 5-inch screen and smooth internet experience, iPhone is nowhere that dominant in China and more like a luxury item for some to prove their identity. Gaming console, not really, Chinese parents hate stuff that are dedicated to games because they believe it will distract their kids from study. Cars, no way. It is still some of the most expensive items in China and buy your kids a car is something most families won't even think about, only the richest can afford. College tuition on the other hand is pretty cheap, most good university in China are public schools, and heavily government sponsored, the tuition is like 1500 dollars a year, so not a big deal for average family.

_0ffh 10y ago

Given that probably >95% of Chinese children are single children, I think it's safe to assume that many of them will get quite spoiled by their parents.