Jack Feuer on the Evolution of Boy To Man

Boys used to be men by going out naked into the woods with a spear and killing something. Yet when Jack Feuer's college freshman son requested an iPhone, the revelation of a new coming of age was clear as day...

Sure, he's logo-conscious, but like all his peers, he didn't get that from advertising. He got his must-haves from the other kids, and they got theirs from him...

During the year just past, my son expanded beyond the small band of pierced savages he used to chill with and went out into the world. Once there, of course, he was assimilated by the massive marketing Borg that overwhelms all of us, like a pack of piranhas on a pudgy swimmer. Young Feuer didn't need a sharp stick, Dad's wheels or an ill-fitting suit his mother bought at Loehmann's to become a man. All he needed was to stay awake. And a credit card--which he maxed out in a week.

My son has become a consumer...

One thing hasn't changed: Coming of age is about finding your identity, and an iPhone is a cool place to start. A request for a Blackberry would have meant something completely different. Hey, Jack, it could be worse...my 5-year old is requesting a video iPod. What do I do with that? Will she prefer a Zune when she's 10? Probably not.

(Photo: BarCamp, Orlando.)