The fragile children of the future

[Mr VJP]

Jonah Goldberg: "Children are hardwired to play. That’s how we learn. But what happens when play is micromanaged? St. Lawrence University professor Steven Horwitz argues that it undermines democracy. Free play — tag in the schoolyard, pickup basketball at the park, etc. — is a very complicated thing. It requires young people to negotiate rules among themselves, without the benefit of some third-party authority figure. These skills are hugely important in life. When parents or teachers short-circuit that process by constantly intervening to stop bullying or just to make sure that everyone plays nice, Horwitz argues, 'we are taking away a key piece of what makes it possible for free people to be peaceful, cooperative people by devising bottom-up solutions to a variety of conflicts.' The rise in 'helicopter parenting' and the epidemic of 'everyone gets a trophy' education are another facet of the same problem. We’re raising millions of kids to be smart and kind, but also fragile. And what happens when large numbers of these delicate little flowers are set free to navigate their way through life? They feel unsafe and demand 'safe spaces.' They feel threatened by uncomfortable ideas and demand 'trigger warnings.' They might even want written rules or contracts to help them negotiate sexual relations. In other words, this is the generation the mandarins of political correctness have been waiting for."

 

(BTW, I truly believe children raised to hunt and fish will be better equipped for life in the future)

Edited November 11, 2015 by Mr VJP

[philoshop]

The end result is a society fully subservient to any and all 'authority'. Governing bodies approve of this mindset.