Tech for teen social status?

Not skater or running shoes, not clothes, but pricey tech gadgets as fashion statements. We all saw it coming, but now parents are really dealing with it, the New York Times reports in its "Syles" section. "It is no secret that Apple's sleek iPod, costing $99 to $449, has become, to the American teenager, a de rigueur fashion item, not just a handy gadget." Then there are picture phones and DVD players. "It is a vortex of contemporary social currents: teenagers' longing outstrips their ability to satisfy it and collides with most parents' hope to teach restraint and fiscal responsibility." Parents of all income levels, since marketing messages and images reach just about every teen one way or another. Of course, this was probably always the case, but the Times says the objects of desire, if not pricier, are outdated faster. Readers, how do you deal with the nag factor? Click on "post" just below, or email me anytime.