The New York Times’ Eve Tahmincioglu has this piece today about the rise of a consumer electronics after-market on eBay, one populated by teenagers. It’s a tale of the haves selling their old model iPods and laptops online to the have-nots.
Teens who tire of their nanos sell them via eBay or Craigslist, or sell them directly to friends and classmates, picking up extra cash for what were gifts in the first place. One teen sold an iPod that his grandmother gave him for Christmas because his parents had already given him the exact same model.
Although it’s an interesting new form of capitalism, am I the only who is slightly saddened by what this says about the state of today’s middle-class teenager? High-priced gadgets and gizmos are no longer luxuries but commonplace provisions, so much so that enough teens are selling their cast-offs online in a new “digital flea market.”
In any event, there’s also a safety issue when teens take to selling their stuff online. Not known for consistent common sense, some adolescents might fail to erase personal data from their laptops or other devices. And some might decide to skip the shipping charges and deliver the goods to a stranger in person — not a safe option even for adults.
Teens might also disclose too much information when posting their wares for sale. Tahmincioglu conducted a search on Craigslist and found what she calls an “array” of teens who listed their personal phone numbers, and found one young girl who even posted her photo and personal email address.
Posted by Cynthia Brumfield at 6:17 PM | Print | Comments (0)
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