I wanna preface this story by highlighting the fact that it was (apparently) written by a teen, so keep in mind what you were like at that age as you read.

Did you have experiences like this? Unsure of how to deal with generosity and attachment?

I know I did.

In this story, the situation involves cameras, two friends, and a broken promise. Who is at fault? Read on to decide.

WIBTA for refusing to give my friend a camera that I have a better version of?

So I (14 M) am into photography and machines and the like.

I have 4 cameras, (none are amazing given I’m a kid and can’t drop $200 on a camera).

I’ve got a basic Polaroid (from 2023), an underwater camera my dad gave me (around 2005), a Panasonic LUMIX ZS10 (from 2011, it’s my prized possession), and another Panasonic LUMIX from 2007.

Here’s how he got one of his cameras.

Now my friend who I’ll call Doug (14 M) wants me to give him my 2007 Panasonic since I was given it for free.

In the days winding up to the end of school I’ve been helping my art teacher clean out her room. My art teacher helped me through these last years of school and has offered major support in my life.

So while I was cleaning, I found a box of digital cameras from the yearbook club, these cameras had probably (based on their condition) been used from 2007-2010.

I asked her, and my art teacher happily gave me one of them.

After a bit of tinkering, I got it to work pretty nicely, lest some glitching.

Then came the unique party.

Me and my friend group (including Doug) were going to have a little get together were we decorated our digital cameras.

While me and Doug were hanging out, he mentioned how he hadn’t been able to get a digital camera yet.

I suggested that he ask his grandparents, parents, uncles/aunts, etc because that’s how most of my friends got their cameras.

He asked if he could have my 2007 Panasonic since i didn’t pay for it and I have two.

I (and this is fully my mistake) said sure. I however, am very emotionally attached to this camera because it was a gift from my art teacher!

So, he changed his mind.

On the day of the meetup I told him I couldn’t bring it because I forgot it at my dads house and for him to bring something to decorate and he (as he very frequently does) sent a few angsty complaining messages about how he “didn’t have anything to decorate”

And when I mentioned his headphones, phone case, speaker, and headphones case, he told me it wasn’t the same, even though our other friend was bringing their headphones because they didn’t have a camera either.

He ended up leaving around 6 and me and my other friends decided to have a sleepover.

When I told them about this, they said I don’t have to give him anything and it’s my stuff. So, all is to say, am I the [jerk] for not giving my friend my camera?

He never should’ve said he’d give his friend a camera he didn’t want to give him.

Let’s see what the comments on Reddit have to say:

Lying is never a good idea.

The general consensus was that they both had some growing up to do.

Perhaps one of you a little more than the other.

An apology is in order…

Here’s hoping they can grow and get past this.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.