Are you getting something cool for Christmas, or will it be so last Tuesday? And does it really matter? Reporters from Children's Express took to the streets in Belfast city centre to find out what's cool and what's not, and asked how important is it to have cool stuff.
| If you don’t have the same kinds of games as your mates then you are nobody, you are left out. |
About half of the young people we asked said owning cool gear was important and could affect your street-cred and popularity. Playstation 2, BMX stunt bikes, Gameboys, microscooters, Thunderbird's Tracey Island, Teksta the robotic puppy and World Wrestling Federation merchandise are very cool, very now.
Older teenagers who were surveyed agreed that Playstation 2 was cool but were more interested in receiving new clothes and the latest hip CD's this Christmas.
"It is important to have cool stuff for image, to blend in and be the same as everyone else," said a 15-year-old boy.
Young people who are out of the cool loop can feel isolated and sometimes get bullied by their peers. A boy aged 13, who wants a pinball machine for Christmas said, "it is important to have cool stuff because it makes you look older."
All the latest gadgetry costs a lot of money. Parents are placed under tremendous pressure to buy trendy presents, which are often expensive, because they worry their children, might feel ostracised.
More emphasis on being cool also comes with age. An 18-year-old girl felt "If you don't have the same kinds of games as your mates then you are nobody, you are left out." But she added: "it costs a lot of money to be cool. Certain labels on clothes makes clothes cool."
Our advice is if you think of spending lots of money is cool you could be wrong. Being really cool is being your-self.
About the team
This article was produced by Benen Dillon, Lucas Dillon and Conor Magowan Greene, all 10. It was published in the Irish News.
