POOR Agnes Lin.

Interviewed for a recent Sunday Times article on how youths cope with the looming economic recession, the 20-year-old came across as a self-indulgent brat who sponges off her parents to feed her expensive tastes.

The damning part in the article: "She thinks a friend of hers, who is left with $20 to last until the end of the month, is silly to consider taking up a part-time job to earn some extra cash. "I don't understand why she cannot just ask her parents for money," sighed Miss Lin."

And what a furore the interview sparked.

The Nanyang Technological University undergraduate has been repeatedly chastised, not just by Netizens on Hardware- Zone.com's forum threads, but even by local columnist Ng King Kang in Lianhe Zaobao this week.

Agnes has since clarified several points in the story, which she said were untrue, on her blog, as well as in an interview with news website The Online Citizen.

Agnes' side of the story: She has already stopped taking pocket money from her parents, and she did not call her friend "silly".

Agnes told The Online Citizen: "I have done part-time work myself too! Why in the world would I imply she is silly?"

Being in the mid-20s myself, I can understand how hard it is for the girl to shake off that negative stereotype.

From the vehement feedback about the article, it is obvious that there are some preconceived notions about youths which need to be addressed.

I'm happy to announce that many youths I know can prove that these are misconceptions.

In August, a survey done by the Singapore Human Resources Institute revealed that those belonging to the Generation Y demographic - those between the ages of 19 and 30 - are perceived to be people who are always late, disloyal, prefer branded apparel and tend to set unrealistic goals. Going bankrupt is one of their last fears.

Yes, I may be terrible with money, but I know my limits.

And I know friends who would never ask for a handout from their parents. My friend J from my junior-college days, for example, would work round the clock during school holidays to earn enough pocket money for another semester.

He's now paying for his brother's university education.

Another friend, Q, used to skip meals just so he could give more of his pay from his part-time job to his mother.

F, a sweet girl my age, cuts back on her spending so she can afford to pay her insurance fees in lump sums, and to save money in the long run. I also used to know a teenager who would babysit her four younger siblings without a word of complaint.

As a former National Youth Council officer, I worked with zealous youths who devoted weekends and much of their spare time to realising community projects.

In short, youths do grasp the meaning of independence and self-sacrifice. So, how can Gen Y be all that bad?

Anyway, people grow up.

Back when I had just started university, I protested when my technician father flatly told me to start earning my allowance.

But I did, eventually. It was good training.

And as for Agnes, I certainly hope this experience will strengthen her character.

By the way, she had prudently turned down an offer to clarify matters in this paper, saying that she would rather wait patiently for the debate to subside.

Her decision to do so, I think, shows that she is wise beyond her years.

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