MY daughter (not the same surname), very responsibly allowed her now teenage son to own his first mobile phone.

He was permitted to venture out with his schoolmates, so she needed to have contact with him.

However, it has now come to light that no matter how useful this modern technology is ideal for both him and his mother, it appears he is totally embarrassed to reveal his phone to any of his classmates simply because it is far from up-to-date.

Schools have enforced great measures to prevent this kind of 'peer pressure' with the intervention of a school uniform with especially footwear. Yet somehow, other things like mobile phones appear to have crept through that appear to force parents and children to purchase higher more expensive notable brands.

The kids go as far as to demanding all the top brands of clothing for when they meet their friends outside of school.

Who started this peer pressure? Was it the top brand companies? The children themselves?

No! It was the mothers (or fathers), who first wanted to show that their kids get the 'best-of-the-best' and be top of all other children (or parents).

I have seen young toddlers in pushchairs who can hardly walk, wearing top brand trainers and well-known sports brands to match. Such sports companies are raking in a fortune with this continual parent madness.

When I was a schoolkid back in the fifties, my parents were broke but I was surrounded by others whose dads owned hotels, bars and other top businesses. Come after Christmas, kids got talking all about what they received as presents. Compared to them I felt embarrassed.

However, I soon discovered that they were all concerned more about what they got and did not care a hoot about anybody else. Hence, I escaped 'peer pressure'.

So it is not the kids that have created this, but our modern-day self-indulgent parents – they are all basically competing with each other and forcing this problem onto all children.

CHRISTINE PETERS

Wellington Road, Bournemouth