As society changes through different periods of time, so does society's concept of childhood and the perception of children in their communities. Children today are treated very differently compared to 50 years ago, and even back as far as the Renaissance era. As our society has learned more about human development, we have adapted to necessary modifications to socialize our children which best fits their personal needs. As a society of today, the 21st century, i feel we have made large improvements in our way of dealing with children and socializing them into society at a healthy pace.
During the Renaissance period (14-16th century) viewed what we consider children today as miniature adults. Today we do not expect children to work, dress, or act like adults like it was during that time.
The Printing Press Era (16th century) brought about an entire new approach to human development, school and child labor laws. It was thought that children should attend school to learn how to read and become literate adults. From those times to today, people have seen a lot of changes in how we perceive children.
Today, we face a new issue, the LOSS OF CHILDHOOD. This meaning, children today are faced with psychological impacts different from past eras that generally force children to "grow up" too quickly before they are emotionally ready. Many children today struggle with pressures to achieve, stress, abuse, eating disorders, depression, and suicide. Children are taught very young about the reality of our world, work, and striving to achieve as much as possible and stay linked with the speedy pace of societal change. How much is TOO MUCH? That is challenging to determine, but i think parents need to recognize when they are pressuring instead of encouraging and work with the child to achieve parallel goals.
There is hope: Children today may face larger psychological trauma, but as our society becomes more knowledgeable, we can better deal with these problems, and possibly adopt new ways.
Thank you for reading, and possibly discussing.
Find an original topic :)
Everything, you have done, and will do, is chemically predisposed by matter, even the fact you are reading this message. You make no choices, only perceive a given reality.
an original topic... like all the people blogging about how Obama is Black and Hillary has 2 X chromosomes, but none of that matters in the election? ;-)
It's hard to find an original topic in a place with so many people writing. Hell, I had to blog about girl scout cookies in a desperate reach for originality. And even that had links to similar stories.
This blog was a refreshing change from the current trend of topics.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/sawaboof
"...There is a crushing guilt that comes with being a Catholic. Whether things are good or bad or you're simply... eating tacos in the park, there is always the crushing guilt."
-30 Rock-
Every generation of children have had their own issues. None of what you listed is really all that new. My generation, the one after me, and a couple before me were all latch key kids. Our parents weren't there to pressure us as much. I think the big change is the intense competition in this global economy we have now being so fierce. Depression just wasn't talked about. If you think of the stigma now, think about what it was like even 10 years ago. There were suicides and eating disorders then too. It wasn't really discussed or talked about much. Abuse and psychological childhood traumas are nothing new either.
-Sonja :)
"grow up"
This term in itself has been delliberately misapplied as a euphanism for "conform" for too long.
"Many children today struggle with pressures to achieve, stress, abuse, eating disorders, depression, and suicide."
This may come down largely to what I mentioned above. Many children today feel the pressures placed upon them to grow-up (conform) in ways that cripple them emotionally. In our society, we have unfortunately reached a point where a huge percentage automatically associate the ability to conform, with maturity. But they are not one and the same.
Children who are forced and pressurized into conforming to the needs of a dominant society which offers them little by way of reward are labelled as 'immature', 'anti-social' etc. They are bullied by the notion that if they refuse to conform to popular opinion, then they are doomed. Many of those who don't realise that they don't have to conform by the time they reach adulthood will get depressed, kill themselves, or develop a host of disorders, as every fibre in their body tries to tell them that the society and the situation within that society they have conformed to, is killing them.
That's why so many people today are so miserable all the time: they thought that blindly conforming was the same as growing up. Now they can't remember who they actually are, beyond the person who hates their job, has a host of disorders, and does nothing beyond suffer their own existence, because they believe that is what grown-ups do. That's just my thoughts on the subject; stiffling creativity and individuality in the name of conformity represses a lot of peoples' true nature and potential, leading to apathy, and an overall poisoning of their humanity.
"Children are taught very young about the reality of our world"
Children are not taught about the reality of our world. They are socialized with a particular take on reality, usually dictated by the dominant culture. If their individual take on reality deviates from that of the version they are being socialized in, they are labeled negatively, until they conform.
Children need to be taught to think for themselves and how to embrace their individuality and that of others, not be taught to be ashamed of their differences and resentful of the differences of others. The blind assembly line conformity which is being thrust upon them in schools and at home, where they are told that they are only good kids if they tick the right boxes or immature failures if they don't, is poisoning naturally independant minds and will reap a harvest of poisonous adults.
One size, does not fit all. Education needs to be tailored and fine tuned to meet the needs of children, not just a type of child and a method by which the spirit of the rest can be broken. Unfortunately, until people realise that the people raising and teaching their kids, and the facilities in which they are being taught, deserve more revenue than corporations which specialize in producing crap and manufacturing desire, we're pretty much screwed.
_____________________________________________________________
I am the people my mother warned me about.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/tuffgong
TUFFGONG
Senior Executive Administrator™
"Children need to be taught to think for themselves and how to embrace their individuality and that of others, not be taught to be ashamed of their differences and resentful of the differences of others."
I think adults need to learn this stuff too....
-Sonja :)
That's how you teach adults, get them when they are children and teach them. The Jesuits have a saying: give us the boy, we'll give you the man. Unfortunately, many of the organizations we hand our children's minds over to, and have done in the past, have some pretty fucked up ideas. Ideas which can produce pretty rotten adults and make life seem pointless for people who reject the rotten system of these rotten adults.
The rotten adults will reiterate their screwed-up up-bringing, by passing the basics down to their kids; through laws, schools, prejudices, . Those who resist conforming to the programming are often alienated, isolated, pilloried and generally bullied into conformity. Or losing it and heading off to school with an assault rifle.
Many of the ways we are programming the youth are rotten. Too many people seem to have forgotten, that for all the change they try to make with their adult lives, if they can't change things for more children than just their own, they will never change anything. Children are our successors, that is why religions and other meglomanaiacal organisations like large corporations want them so badly.
That is why Coke executives lose sleep at night, dreaming up ways to get your baby to respond earlier to brand recognition. That is why churches are so hot on babtisms and christenings. Give them the boy, they'll give you the man. In this case the man is one that blindly and refexively bows to The Man, while sipping his favourite soft drink; a cool, sugary, ice cold, Coca Cola. He scoffs at the idea of authority being anything less than benevolant, as surely as he scoffs at the idea of any soft drink comparing to 'The Real Thing' his Coke most certainly is, and has been since as far back as he can remember, for some reason....
Teach kids to think, instead of teaching them to believe and we will be on our way, one small step for a kid, one giant leap for mankind..
_____________________________________________________________
I am the people my mother warned me about.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/tuffgong
TUFFGONG
Senior Executive Administrator™
I was raised to question everything. So were my brothers, but they all fell into societal traps. A lot of people I know didn't even have that option. How do you break generation after generation of yes-men?
I think the biggest part is giving children the confidence to believe in themselves, so they can become independent thinkers and not follow the crowd for the sake of following the crowd. It's not an easy road for some people.
There is a lot of talk in college about becoming independent thinkers, but it's almost too late at that point. I took a logics class, and the students (most were teenagers) would write word for word what the professor said. That's not what a logics class is for!
Most people can say that they truly believe in something, but they can't really tell you why. That's sad.
Fear (of anything, in this case loneliness) is the easiest way to get obedience, and obedience is conformity.
-Sonja :)
You're probly the most logical person on this site, I've read quite a few of the debates.
Everything, you have done, and will do, is chemically predisposed by matter, even the fact you are reading this message. You make no choices, only perceive a given reality.
Thanks.
_____________________________________________________________
I am the people my mother warned me about.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/tuffgong
TUFFGONG
Senior Executive Administrator™