Well, I see where you're coming from. But you have the wrong aim.

There's nothing wrong with kids having material possessions. Okay, so only parents had cell phones when they first came out. They're not "rare" and "expensive" any more. Actually, getting a cell phone nowadays is insanely easy. Especially with all the free ones that exist. I pay $45/month for unlimited everything on mine. If the child covers it, why is it a problem?

Same with the laptops and other devices. I'm 19; I have a cellphone, laptop, kindle, various video games and systems... and I've had the majority of them given to me over the past several years. My mom spoiled me but she also punished me if I did something wrong. I had to /earn/ what I got by behaving.

The issue at hand is simply that parents won't punish the kids that they have. So maybe you should re-focus your argument or at least back up why it's not good that kids have their own possessions?

I feel like we are slipping back into the late 60's and early 70's again, not to say that the parental behavior is the same now as it was then, but the youth seemed more rebellious back then like its starting to become now.  The worst thing for a parent in this day and age is a simple law trying to prevent child abuse and any type of physical harm.   You can't discipline your kids anymore even if they decide that they won't listen to you and keep breaking your rules.   I grew up lucky, I had two wonderful parents who taught me what was right, I hardly ever had to be punished until I became a teenager and even then It was more when I turned 16.   Anyway I grew up with video games and friends, I was always supervised and neighbors were friendly and kind enough to have their daughters baby sit when my folks were still at work or something.   I was always under the watchful eye of someone older than me.   
Another thing is now that Divorce is really seen as an accepted thing in society, I think parenting is starting to take a more lackluster appeal.   I mean before my time people would rarely get divorced, and when my parents did when I was 7 it was still pretty unheard of.   It really messed me up for years.   I can see that with divorce such a more common figure in society that people are less interested in commitment, thus the attitude is transitioning into another aspect of love, which is parenting.   Some people just hate their former spouse that they try to tell their kids lies and anything bad they can think of to try to get the kids onto their side.   A father could be rejected from his children simply because the mother just hates him, and that's not fair.   And this matters because the kids will feel like because mom says daddy is a terrible person, they don't have to listen to a word he says, even if he's just trying to help them make a right choice.   I just use this example because my mom used to badmouth my father while I was growing up and all it did was create a rift between us, that we'd always fight whenever she even said anything about my dad in a negative way.   I am not trying to say that it is always the women who do it, and the guy is always innocent but you get my point I would hope, either parent could resort to those tactics.   
With such a lack of means to really discipline your kids to just words the kids of the younger generation are enjoying more freedoms than before; people will make sure you go to jail if you paddle a child, even if it was because he might've stolen something.   Kids probably feel like they can get away with anything because all they get could be a talking to and words go in one ear and out the other.   To any of you who are still growing up you have it easy than the rest of of us.   
But kids only have it easier than the rest of us when it comes to home life, but when it comes to schooling I think todays kid's really have it harder.   The system seems to have taken a turn down a dark road where only tests become valued, rather than being able to get the point across to the students.   My school aside from a few teachers really seemed only interested in pumping out grades, which is wrong when you have over 2000 kids attending, you should be trying to get the kids understanding up, I mean you can study as hard as you want to but why remember Algebra when you are never going to use it again? Oh the classic argument kids have with teachers and parents.   I fell into that category towards the end of my schooling career, in fact even in college I wondered why I needed to take classes in arts to be a teacher of Math.   School systems have been bringing higher level courses down to the earlier grades of school; with all the baby Einstein stuff going around trying to get kids to be able to communicate and read by the time they are about a year or two old, having to go to school in maybe 3rd grade and learn advanced mathematics, we have begun to demand more of the youth body to understand what we never had to learn in school or what we were given at a higher grade.  
It's also a problem with the weight and work loads we give students every night and expect done by the next class time.   It's sad to even hear kids having back problems because they have to go to school with about 50-60 lbs of books/homework/school supplies and all the other stuff school districts have decided to put on its students.   And I know in my school we barely had anytime to use our lockers to the point that I even bought two backpacks to have for each day.   Then to come home with that and maybe have two classes that want you to read 100 pages of War&Peace for the next day while another might have you answer a 100 question packet on calculus style math and expect them to be done and go to bed at a decent time to come back to school ready for another day.   Nevermind the fact that students might have tests to study in physics during the week and they might just not be fast enough to finish their homework to study for a test.   And if you don't learn well now you have to worry about even doing enough on the homework to get a good grade on it.   
All in all I think that todays kids are pretty spoiled and get away with a lot outside of school, but I think when you talk workloads and education todays kids have it harder than we did.   Yes for some of you who are old enough to have worked when you were a kid or grew up on a farm you had to actually work, but that wasn't a focus on my statement.   Agree or disagree that is your choice to do, and I won't say I'm more right than the next person, I'm just saying that this is what I've seen over the years and since I've left the education system with some of my friends that are still in k-12.
I just thought of a new part to discuss while reading another post.   As far as monitoring kids, well this whole internet thing is new, and with all the new tech coming out some parents just don't know how to deal with it.   Kids seem to know more about technology than their parents, especially when the technology comes out and is new to both parties.   My parents always seem to think I'm a smart ass for knowing how to operate a smart phone, but I just poke around when I don't know what does what until I figure it all out.   We just take for granted all the new things we have around us as well because well its been around and constantly changing we've grown up with it.   My parents never had cell phones and laptops, and if you had a good tv you were lucky.   Video games were still in the arcade and it wasn't until 7 years before I was born when Nintendo came out with the NES.   We got our first computer when I was like 3 I think I don't even remember, but I wasn't really allowed to do anything unless my parents were around.   I think its a matter of parents and kids taking the technology for granted that they don't even seem to worry about what their kids are doing.   

I'm not offended but that is the way it came across to me. The topic itself caught me off guard because I know quite a few people think that kids having possessions is a bad thing regardless. Sorry for the misunderstanding. ^.^;

Ktanaqui : No problem. I sometimes have the tendency to not explain things very well. So it's really my bad. But yeah, some people do think that kids shouldn't have possessions and to me that's just stupid. See I grew up with my Dad always taking from us kids for his drug habit and my Mom had to hide money in order to feed us, so I know what it's like to have nothing, so I would never do that to anyone, let alone a child.

Oldschool41 : Haha, well people from my generation can be rude too. I don't know if the number of people has increased of it's the same but I had a lot of rude people who disliked me a lot when I was in High School. Teenage drama, ugh! LOL.

SunflowerGaming : I only mean in certain situations that would require a hit. It is wrong but there isn't much you can take away from someone who would hurt another for fun. although there are always alternate methods to many situations

SunflowerGaming : you know I'm not sure I guess I just misread your response to my post.   Its alright if your not, seeing as there are quite a few reply's happening lol.   I guess I was trying to explain what I meant hoping that I made sense the first time but not sure.  But at this point a change in conversation is probably happily accepted :p

SunflowerGaming :

That had to of sucked. The belief that kids don't deserve / need material possessions is a sensitive topic with me because of the fact that, as a child, many of my possessions were stolen from me by people who were supposed to be "parents" (DHR). Since then, I've been very adamant in making sure that people realize that it's stupid.

As far as the actual topic goes:
I'm easily one of the most spoiled poor kids. People get together to get stuff for me and most of my more expensive possessions either came from outside of my family or from one of my richer friends / relatives. However, I'm not rude. My mom would slap the piss out of me if I behaved rudely. She wouldn't allow it as I grew up because it just is not appropriate. And she made sure that I knew that.

And yea. Rude kids that don't get punished really is inappropriate. There's this one lady that has two little boys that physically get into fights constantly. She refuses to stop them even though she knows what is going on as it is going on with the excuse that they are autistic so there is no controlling it.

Deadman9001 : Haha, no problem. We can just move on with the topic. If I even try to figure out what you were trying to say I'll just confuse myself even more.

Ktanaqui : Yeah, he always had the attitude, "If anyone is going to get anything, it's going to be me!" He never believed in treating his well, We were only slaves for him to use. Get me this, get me that. Anyway, I think that's great that people get you things you want or need. I wish I had people to do that for when I was younger. My Mom definitely made up for it but when my Dad and Mom were still married, if she tried to get us kids anything, he'd either fight with her, or he'd beat on her. And sometimes in public. Anyway I don't want to get into that, that's another story and not the point of this thread. As for that woman that doesn't discipline her children at all, that definitely does not solve the problem. If you don't want to spank your children, I totally understand but there are other ways of using discipline.

SunflowerGaming :

Well, the excuse of them being autistic was also bullcrap too. My best friend, Mogenar, and my little brother both suffer from autism. As far as my little brother goes, he's never been allowed to get away with everything although Mom is more lenient and calmer about it with him because of the autism.

urhg...backspaced and lost my post.  *sighs*

Anywho, I didn't know this thread had been created when I made mine today.  I guess this could be combined with mine...I swear I wasn't trying to make more work for the mods!

This one seems to have the better feedback though.

As for the topic, I DO believe kids are very spoiled these days.  Furthermore, they seem to think their parents 'owe' them.  I've heard many of my students tell me such things, and this to me is absolutely insane.  My parents spent around two decades of their lives and hundreds of thousands of dollars making sure I was alive, healthy, and happy.  If I try to remind my students of that fact, they often dispute my words by saying that their parents promised this or promised that, or simply were obligated.

While I understand the importance of a parent keeping a promise, I still feel that kids feeling thy are 'owed' is ludicrous.

Yeah I do see that each new generation get more spoil each generation past by. My little nephew want a cell phone, because his friends all got one and he is seven years old including his friend. I am 14 and I still don't have a phone. I need to wait for another 4 years. Well he sorta got his wish. Mine mom let him play with here phone all the time, and all he ever do with it just make crappy video and take crappy pictures. He even try to prank call people. If kids are just going to do that they don't need a phone then.

Singelli : I'm sorry, I forgot to link you this thread when I PMed you last. My bad. Haha. Yeah I don't get why kids think they are obligated to have whatever they want. Just makes me baffled.

Mobouis1 : I remember when I was 16, the only time my Mom ever let me use her phone was if I was out at the mall with friends or the movies. If I was out and she had to come and pick me up cause I didn't have my license yet, (unfortunately I can't drive anymore), anyway, I was not allowed to have my own cell phone. And when I had my own land-line, I had the responsibility of paying the bill or buying whatever kind of phone I wanted.

I didn't get a cell phone until I was 17, and even so, it was -just- for emergency purposes. I could not text on it or call anyone except for my parents.

Also, I had to pay for my own car.  I used birthday money, graduation money, and funds I earned through tutoring to buy my own car.  Nowadays, kids seem to think this concept is nuts.  Almost ALL of my students expect their parents to buy them cars, and apparently almost all the parents do.

SunflowerGaming : Well at least you were able to leave the house unlike me where my parents are really strict and won't let us leave our house. It also include my 21 year old brother.