Rude teens berate parents while shopping at a sneaker store | What Would You Do? | WWYD

What Would You Do?

21 Feb 201908:15

Summary

TLDRIn a social experiment at Sneaker Room in Jersey City, a mother and her son, David, face off over a pair of $200 shoes they can't afford. David's disrespectful and demanding behavior escalates, leading to a heated exchange. Bystanders intervene, offering parenting advice and empathy, while the mother struggles to maintain control. The scenario shifts to involve a father and daughter, Sophia, with similar dynamics, highlighting the challenges of parenting and the importance of teaching respect and gratitude.

Takeaways

👨‍👦 A mother and son, David, are struggling financially and can only afford to spend $100, highlighting the challenges of single-income households.
😠 David exhibits disrespectful and demanding behavior towards his mother, showcasing a lack of understanding and empathy for their financial situation.
💔 The script touches on the sensitive topic of divorce and its impact on the family dynamics, with David expressing resentment towards his mother and father.
🛍️ The setting of a shoe store serves as a backdrop for the conflict, where David's desire for expensive sneakers becomes a focal point of the disagreement.
😓 The mother's inability to control her son in public reflects the stress and embarrassment that can come with parenting in challenging circumstances.
🗣️ Bystander intervention varies, with some attempting to mediate the situation, while others offer advice or simply observe the unfolding drama.
👟 The expensive sneakers, priced at $200, symbolize the desires and expectations of youth, as well as the financial limitations faced by the family.
👨‍👧 Another scenario involves a father and daughter, where similar dynamics of disrespect and entitlement are played out.
🤔 The script raises questions about parenting styles and the balance between being a friend and an authority figure to children.
💬 The dialogues and interactions in the script offer insights into societal expectations, generational differences, and the importance of respect and communication in family relationships.

Q & A

What is the main conflict in the transcript?
-The main conflict is between a mother and her son, David, over the purchase of expensive shoes that the mother cannot afford.
How does David react to his mother's inability to buy the shoes?
-David reacts with anger and frustration, calling his mother names and expressing his resentment.
What is the mother's response to David's behavior?
-The mother tries to explain their financial situation and remains patient despite David's disrespectful behavior.
What is the role of the bystanders in the situation?
-Bystanders intervene with various reactions, some offering parenting advice, others empathizing with the mother, and some confronting David's rudeness.
How does the situation escalate when Sophia, another child, is involved?
-Sophia also demands shoes and verbally abuses her father, escalating the situation and drawing more attention and advice from bystanders.
What advice do the bystanders give to the parents in the video?
-Bystanders suggest that the parents should not tolerate disrespectful behavior, teach their children the value of money, and not give in to every demand.
What is the underlying theme of the video?
-The underlying theme is the challenge of parenting in the face of children's materialistic demands and disrespectful behavior.
How does the TV show 'What Would You Do?' present this scenario?
-The show sets up a staged scenario in a store to observe and record the reactions of real people to the conflict between the parents and their children.
What is the general consensus among the bystanders about the children's behavior?
-The general consensus is that the children's behavior is disrespectful and that they should be taught better manners and the value of money.
What is the advice given to parents who might be facing similar situations?
-The advice includes not giving in to every demand, teaching children to be grateful, and maintaining parental authority without being a 'friend' to the child.
How do the parents in the video react to the advice given by the bystanders?
-The parents seem to appreciate the advice, with some expressing empathy and others taking the feedback into consideration for their parenting approach.

Outlines

00:00

😠 'Struggle with Entitlement'

In this video script, a mother and her son, David, are in a shoe store where David is throwing a tantrum because he wants to buy shoes that cost $200, which is beyond their budget of $100. The mother tries to explain their financial constraints, but David, in a fit of anger and frustration, accuses her of being selfish and the reason for his father leaving. The script highlights the challenges of parenting, particularly when dealing with a child's sense of entitlement and disrespect. Bystanders offer various reactions, some suggesting the boy should show more respect and others empathizing with the mother's struggle. The situation escalates, with David's behavior becoming more aggressive, and the mother appears overwhelmed and at a loss for how to handle it.

05:02

😔 'Parenting Dilemma: Spoiled Child'

The second paragraph continues the narrative with a different family dynamic, focusing on a father and his daughter, Sophia. Sophia is demanding shoes and is verbally abusive towards her father when he cannot afford them. She accuses him of being cheap and calls him stupid, echoing the same disrespectful behavior seen in the first paragraph. Bystanders intervene, some trying to mediate the situation, while others offer advice to the father on how to handle his daughter's tantrum. The video script uses these scenarios to explore societal expectations of parenting and the challenges of raising children who may not appreciate the sacrifices their parents make for them.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Divorce

Divorce refers to the legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body. In the context of the video, it is a significant event that affects the family dynamics and financial situation, leading to the mother and son living off of one paycheck. The son's frustration is partly attributed to the changes brought about by the divorce, as seen when he says, 'You're getting divorced. I'm not an idiot.'

💡Budget

A budget is a financial plan that outlines income and expenses. In the video, the mother mentions they only have $100 to spend, which sets a strict budget constraint. This budget limitation becomes a central conflict when the son wants shoes that cost $200, as illustrated by the dialogue: 'We only have $100 to spend.'

💡Respect

Respect is a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements. The video script highlights the lack of respect from the son towards his mother, as he uses abusive language and throws a tantrum. The concept is further explored when a bystander suggests the boy should 'step in his mom's shoes and show some respect.'

💡Tantrum

A tantrum is a sudden outburst of angry or emotional behavior, typically in a child. The video features a scene where the son throws a tantrum in a store because he cannot get the shoes he wants, demonstrating a lack of emotional control and maturity. This is evident when he exclaims, 'Stop being such an idiot and just buy me the stupid shoes.'

💡Parenting

Parenting refers to the process of promoting and supporting the physical, emotional, and social development of a child from infancy to adulthood. The video explores different parenting styles and their outcomes, with one parent advising, 'You know love your kids and do the best that you can...you don't have to get them everything they want.'

💡Financial Strain

Financial strain refers to the stress and difficulties caused by a lack of financial resources. The video's theme revolves around a single-income family dealing with financial constraints, which is a key factor in the mother's inability to afford the desired shoes for her son, as she states, 'We can't afford them. I need you to understand that we can't afford.'

💡Abusive Language

Abusive language involves using words to harm, offend, or belittle others. In the video, the son uses abusive language towards his mother, calling her 'stupid' and 'selfish,' which is a significant issue as it reflects poor communication and a lack of empathy. This is shown in lines like, 'You're so stupid. No wonder why dad left.'

💡Emotional Control

Emotional control is the ability to manage and respond to one's emotions in a healthy and constructive manner. The video contrasts the emotional control of the adults with the son's lack of it, as he becomes angry and verbally abusive when he doesn't get what he wants, as seen in his outburst, 'You're so stupid.'

💡Spoiled

To be spoiled means to be indulged or pampered, often to the extent that one becomes self-centered and lacks consideration for others. The video suggests that the son might be spoiled, as he expects to get expensive shoes despite the family's financial situation, and he becomes angry when his demands are not met, as indicated by the bystander's comment, 'You look really spoiled right now.'

💡Conflict Resolution

Conflict resolution is the process of resolving disputes or disagreements between parties. The video presents various scenarios where conflict arises between parents and children over material desires, and it explores different approaches to resolving these conflicts, such as setting boundaries, as the mother does when she says, 'We can't afford them.'

💡Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. The video script lacks empathy from the son towards his mother, as he fails to consider her feelings and financial limitations, instead focusing on his own desires. This is evident in his statement, 'You never get me anything I want.'

Highlights

David's mother reminds him they are living off one paycheck and have a $100 spending limit.

David expresses frustration about his parents' divorce and his mother's perceived inability to provide for him.

David demands $200 shoes, which his mother cannot afford, leading to a heated exchange.

The mother tries to reason with David about their financial situation and the need to prioritize bills.

David accuses his mother of being selfish and the reason for his father leaving, escalating the conflict.

A bystander intervenes, suggesting David should respect his mother and understand their financial constraints.

Another bystander, a parent himself, expresses sympathy for the mother's situation and disapproval of David's behavior.

Lorraine, a participant, challenges David's entitlement and suggests he should be grateful for what he has.

A young man offers advice to David, sharing his own experience of earning money to buy what he wants.

The show introduces a new scenario with a father and daughter, Sophia, who also has a conflict over shoes.

Sophia uses abusive language towards her father, demanding shoes he cannot afford.

A woman intervenes, attempting to mediate the situation and suggesting Sophia should consider getting a job to buy the shoes herself.

John Quinones, the host, provides advice to parents on setting boundaries and not giving in to every child's demand.

A final bystander confronts Sophia's behavior, emphasizing the importance of respect and not calling her father stupid.

The show concludes with a couple sharing their thoughts, advising parents to maintain discipline and not tolerate disrespectful behavior.