By TIFFANY WILLSON
Columnist
I recently read an article, on yourmodernfamily.com, that claimed children are acting entitled and sad. The way the author brought about the issue worried me, so I began to do some research. I found that there are many people claiming these same things. The research I have been finding is, above all, concerning and I do not agree with it. I do believe that children and teens are more depressed and focused on peer acceptance, but I think it’s time the real issues were talked about. The blame has been thrust on to the students and children, with parents claiming, “I never acted like this.” The truth is, it has more to do with the parents and society than it does with the child.
Growing up I was always told that I could be anything I wanted to be but as I got older I realized that is not the case. Even if the options are available to me, it is not open to everyone. They say that discrimination is not as prevalent as it used to be. This is true, that it is better now than before, but still we witness acts of aggression and hate every single day. You can be denied positions in this world because of race, gender, religion, and sexual orientation. So, you can tell us that we can be whatever we want to be, but we have seen right through this charade. I am sad because the world is not the beautiful illusion that my parents and teachers have preached to us over the years.
Entitlement stems from years of parents giving gifts to their children as rewards for desired behavior. As a result, children have smart phones and gaming systems at an earlier age. Yes, these handheld devices are new and exciting, but parents need to remain steadfast against the pleas, and not give them to their children too early. Even if your child claims everyone at school has one. They probably don’t, but even if they did, you are helping your child see past the peer acceptance that plagues our society today.
These arguments only address a few of the reasons that children’s attitudes have begun to shift. What I want everyone to consider is the cause of all of this. Do not just look at the symptoms and think you understand the whole student population. After that, I inquire, “Who is at fault and how do we change it?”