One Direction (to Success)

It’s not just about getting parents to spring for new sneakers and animals.

Makennah of Lubbock has also used PowerPoint for more quotidian request: to convince her mom to let her wear a little makeup. “I’m quick to be convinced by her,” said Marla Castro, her mother. “She has me dumbfounded a lot.”

Also sometimes young people simply want their parents’ blessing. Last Christmas, Maria Stopenski, then 19, had bought a ticket to a meet-and-greet with Niall Horan, the singer famous for being in the boy band One Direction. Ms. Stopenski, who attends the University of Pittsburgh and whose family lives in Pittsburgh, didn’t want money from her parents for the ticket. She wanted their O.K. Her parents weren’t thrilled about her driving all the way to North Carolina for the event — and she didn’t feeling comfortable going without their permission. “I needed them to see how dedicated I am. So I said, ‘Mom, if I make a PowerPoint will you let me go?’ she said.

“Sure, make a PowerPoint and we’ll see,” her mother said.

A few days later, Ms. Stopenski set up a life-size cutout of Mr. Horan and hooked her laptop to the family’s living-room TV. She devoted a few slides to explaining the appeal of Mr. Horan, just in case it wasn’t readily apparent to her parents: “He is 5’9” so basically he is the perfect height for me” and “He loves golf,” one said. “He sings good” and “I like his brown hair more than his blonde hair,” said another. She explained how much the travel, hotel and concert would cost and how she had budgeted to keep costs low.

One of the final slides included a photograph of Mr. Horan, applauding in an audience. Ms. Stopenski’s caption said, “Niall is clapping in this picture because he is so impressed at how dedicated I am to him.”

“They said ‘yes’ right away,” she said.

This year she wants to go to Toronto to see Shawn Mendes. “Do you want me to make a PowerPoint? Because I will,” Ms. Stopenski asked her mother.

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” her mom said.

Ask for the Right Things

For some, the process of creating and delivering a presentation is less about dazzling parents than crystallizing for their own selves how strongly they want something. Last month, Dwayne Neff, 17, a high-school senior in Park Forest, Ill., set up a time to meet with his parents and had his PowerPoint on the TV screen when they came into the living room. He needed $250 to buy a ticket to the Travis Scott concert. Dwayne thought if he simply asked for the money, his parents would say no before he got the words out. Thanks to his slide show, Dwayne, an aspiring musical artist, was able to make his argument.