Smashed

The other week during one of my usual lunchtime walks, I was walking through an area where there were some benches at either side of the pathway. There were quite a few people around, and as I got a few meters away from one of the benches, I was aware that there were three children – one about 10 or 11, the other two about 14 or 15 – climbing and jumping over the bench and attempting to get onto the wall that was immediately behind the bench.

As I got closer I realised two of the kids had mobiles in their hands and seemed to be struggling to keep their balance as they climbed/jumped from bench to wall. Then as I was passing them, I heard the girl saying to the two boys, “Don’t worry I’ll take it on my phone ’cause if I smash it Mum will just need to buy me a new one”!

I carried on walking, shocked by the statement the young girl had made. To be honest it shocked me that these kids didn’t seem to value their phones. i.e. They seemed to think a broken phone was easily replaced, because they didn’t appreciate how much a replacement phone would cost their parents.

While some will find that purchasing a replacement mobile phone is not a bank breaking expense, there are many who will! Money is not unlimited to the majority of us, so we take responsibility for our belongings – we take care of them and try not to damage them.

Are we losing the ability to appreciate how much items/belongings are worth? Do our children simply see that when something breaks or they want something, the money is available to purchase it, regardless of cost?

Yes, I was saddened by what I heard these children say, but I was probably more disappointed that they hadn’t been taught to value and look after their belonging.