Issue date: May 2, 1999

Love & money

Can love blossom when she has the keys to Daddy's Lexus and he scrambles for bus fare?
Special Report: Teens & Money

f Titanic's Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet met today, things would be a lot different. The rich girl/poor boy dynamic that helped fuel their passion would be a non-issue, say the teens who took USA WEEKEND's Teen Survey.

In fact, when it comes to love, teens say money - or lack of it - doesn't matter.

Among teens who date, about half say they've dated someone from a family much richer than theirs. A third have dated someone from a much poorer family. But in both situations, more than 8 in 10 say the disparity created no conflicts.

As America grows more multicultural, teenagers are more comfortable dating across all sorts of lines - including economic ones. Money may matter less because teens across the board have more of it, experts say.

In diverse schools, where teens are "exposed to different cultures, it's a roulette wheel. You never know who's going to become involved with whom," says Paul Ciborowski, professor of counseling at New York's Long Island University and author of the upcoming book Working With Tomorrow's Teens. "You've got a beer-and-pretzels crowd meeting a Chablis-and-brie crowd."

Mostly, teens "think their parents work too hard and are too concerned about money," says Sean Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens.

Mark Daniels, 14, of Fitchburg, Mass., agrees. His girlfriend's family is much better off than his, but he concludes, "It's just not an issue."