AITA for not giving my younger brother my gaming console because he broke his?

A Redditor, a 16-year-old, shared their dilemma about refusing to let their younger brother use their gaming console after he carelessly ruined his own. Despite standing firm on their decision, they face conflicting opinions from their parents and ongoing guilt-tripping from their brother. Read the full story below to decide who’s in the right.

‘ AITA for not giving my younger brother my gaming console because he broke his?’

16M) have a younger brother, Jack (12M), who is notorious for being careless with his belongings. Last year, my parents got him a PlayStation 5, and he was thrilled. Unfortunately, he never took care of it properly. He would leave it on the floor, toss the controller around, and spill snacks everywhere while playing.

A couple of weeks ago, he spilled soda all over the console, and it stopped working. My parents told him he wouldn’t get a new one because it was his responsibility to take care of it. Since then, he’s been begging to use my console (an Xbox Series X), but I’ve said no every time.

Here’s the thing: I worked a summer job and saved up to buy my Xbox. I take excellent care of it because I paid for it myself. Jack got his PlayStation as a gift, so I feel like he didn’t value it the same way I value mine.
Now Jack is calling me selfish and unfair. My parents are split. My dad says I’m right because it’s my console, and I shouldn’t have to share if I don’t want to. But my mom thinks I’m being too harsh on him and that I should “help him out” since he’s just a kid.

I don’t trust him not to damage my Xbox, and I think this is a good lesson for him to learn about consequences. Still, my mom and Jack keep trying to guilt-trip me. Now I’m starting to wonder: Am I the a**hole for refusing to let him use my gaming console?

Here’s what people had to say to OP:

IamIrene −  NTA. The reward for breaking a prized item is that you no longer have that prized item. Actions have consequences. Your dad is right. Why should your brother be rewarded for breaking his console? Doing so will only teach him that he can have whatever he wants whenever he asks. He could save up his allowance and/or do extra jobs to earn enough to replace it, he just doesn’t want to. That’s on him.

You, in fact, are teaching him a very valuable lesson by not catering to his wants, forcing him to deal with the consequences of his negligence. That is actually very unselfish. You mom likely just wants to shut his whining up because it’s annoying, lol.

Some-Replacement-Bit −  NTA. He’ll only end up breaking yours, so don’t let him anywhere near it. And given your mother’s attitude, maybe try to secure it when you’re not home in case she allows him to play it behind your back.
If your mother thinks you’re being too harsh she can buy him another console. 

ExistenceRaisin −  NTA at all. Jack broke his console because he was careless, and your parents rightfully told him he couldn’t get a new one. You saved your own money to buy your own console, so you get to decide who uses it. Obviously you can’t trust Jack not to break your console too, he didn’t value his own property so he certainly wouldn’t value yours. You’re right to say no.

Hot-Activity849 −  NTA, he’s already proven that he cannot be trusted to take care of his own belongings, its fairly likely he’d take fewer precautions for someone else’s. This isn’t even addressing that you had to work for yours and he got his handed to him. You and your dad are correct and mom is in a little bit of denial. Kids gotta be responsible at some point.

terraformingearth −  Tell your mother if she puts a a deposit in escrow to replace yours when Jack breaks it, fine.

DJ_Too_Supreme_AITA −  NTA. You paid for the console yourself so what you do with it is your choice. Also, the PS5 and Xbox Series X are $500-600 consoles and you’re just expected to share yours when he was careless with his PS5? Your mom wants you to reward his carelessness by letting him use your Xbox; all with the chance of breaking your console.

rockology_adam −  NTA. You’re right both in your assertion that it’s yours and that your brother won’t take care of it. Jack… I don’t blame Jack. He’s a kid. There’s a game console and he wants to play it. Stay strong. He can save up and buy himself a new one.

But your mother… If your mother won’t buy him a new one (well, I’d go used, but whatever) because he didn’t take care of his, then she is a giant h**ocrite for asking you to let him use yours. If pressed, if you mother tells you that you have to, just tell her that since you bought it with your own money, if she forces you to let Jack play, and he breaks it, she owes you a replacement. Her, not him. See if she agrees to that.

-_-__-_______-__-_- −  Who tf leaves a ps5 on the floor??? Why does he even move it??? Mine is chilling under the TV ever since i got it.

StAlvis −  NTA. I should “help him out” since he’s just a kid. Teaching him about consequences **IS** helping him out.

Pistonenvy2 −  all of these posts lately seem like programmers trying to teach morality to an AI. this is written like a f**king word problem. “So my brother is being framed in the worst possible light, he represents the bad kid. i however am a responsible and hard working cog that brings immense productivity to my community and am polite and beloved. who is better?

Also my family is completely unreasonable and behaves in a completely non intuitive way based on my side of the story, how can this be?”. Does any human being really need anything in this situation explained to them? its your s**t dude, you dont have to share it with anyone.