This thread is hilarious. I get to have conversations like this everyday with Sean. I complain about the way things were when I was growning up, and he tells me exactly how good I had it. (I'm 23, and he's 39 for those who don't know). But it's not that the cable tv and telephones weren't there when I was younger, we were just too poor to afford them. For some reason, my parents thought it was more important for us to have electricity and food than it was for my brother and me to have the video games and MTV. Am I wrong or does it seem like today more parents put themselves in debt to make sure their kids have all the "cool" things they "need" so they can be accepted? I remeber when frozen Kool Aid on a toothpick, and a new pair of Wal-Mart jeans was enough to make me happy. We have a 3 year old and another one on the way, I am worried not only for my kids but for us, how are we supposed to keep up?