Teen Goes on Hunger Strike to Force Mom to Buy Him iPhone
INDIA – A teenage boy went on a hunger strike to pressure his mom into buying him a new iPhone.
A viral video shared by Indian researcher and journalist Abhishek on August 18, 2024, has ignited significant debate on social media. The video, recorded by a smartphone shop owner in India, captures a teenage boy who undertook a three-day hunger strike to coerce his financially struggling mother into buying him a new iPhone. The mother, who sells flowers outside a temple to make ends meet, eventually relented and used her hard-earned savings to purchase the phone for her son.
In an interview with Abhishek, the mother expressed her profound distress and helplessness. She explained that her son had refused to eat until she bought him the iPhone he desired. Despite her financial difficulties, she felt compelled to fulfill his request to end the hunger strike. She added that while she was pleased to see her son happy, she also stressed that he would need to work and repay the money, underscoring the importance of responsibility and hard work.
The video shows the teenager’s excitement as he holds the money used to buy the iPhone and eagerly opens the box, with the shop owner also providing him with a pair of free earphones. Abhishek’s post quickly went viral, amassing 3.1 million views, 2.3K comments, 15K reactions, and 4.9K shares.
The video stirred widespread criticism from netizens, many of whom condemned the boy’s behavior as manipulative and insensitive, given his mother’s low-income job as a flower vendor. Commenters argued that the boy’s actions demonstrated a lack of respect and responsibility, suggesting that he should have been reprimanded rather than rewarded.
Abhishek’s caption highlighted the mother’s sacrifice and the boy’s failure to appreciate it, prompting discussions about entitlement and the consequences of lacking respect and responsibility. Many feared that such behavior could lead to children abandoning their parents when they are no longer useful.
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