The disappearance of adulthood
- By Eugene Clark
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E-mail China.org.cn, February 5, 2017
In 1994 Neil Postman wrote an influential book entitled "The Disappearance of Childhood" in which he argued that so intrusive had the world of adults become on children's lives that they no longer enjoyed the important "time-out" period in which they could be a child. One of Newton's laws of physics -- for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction -- seems to have come true. In today's world, increasingly our children are being denied the opportunity to become adults.
There are many causes for this phenomenon. The first is the simple reality that to qualify for today's jobs much more education is required and so we remain in "apprenticeship" mode for a longer period before becoming an adult.
Second is youth unemployment. As a result of the GFC and its continuing aftermath, general unemployment rates in many countries have been in double figures with an even higher rate of unemployment among young people. This again results in children living with their parents for a longer period of time.
Third, there is the impact of macro forces on society such as technology and globalization. Globalization has meant that millions of traditional manufacturing jobs in developed countries have moved to countries in the developing world. Also, technology has threatened many traditional job areas, just as it has before with the invention of steam, electricity, new business models such as assembly line manufacturing, computer chips and more recently, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics.
Fourth, in addition to unemployment there is also significant under-employment. Many young people and other generations are under employed. Even though working, the wages are low and thus many children have returned to the nest and are living again with their parents. Moreover, their parents are living longer and thus multi-generational residences have grown substantially.
A fifth factor is the growing tendency to "safe proof" for our children. In the West, playgrounds are now totally boring because of fears of lawsuits and the fear that little darlings may have an accident and fall off equipment. Similarly, children are cautioned to "never talk to strangers" and thus never learn how or which adults they can trust. The result is that children fail to learn valuable life lessons such as the existence of fear as well as both the rewards and possible negative consequences of risk taking.
Sadly in my view, even in Western universities, where freedom of debate and speech has traditionally been nurtured and cherished, there is today a political correctness movement that seeks to shelter students from views that are out of "sync" with those of liberal faculty members some of whom are "liberal" only to the extent that you agree with their views.
A sixth factor is that the world of childhood is now perpetuated with computer games, film, and an endless variety of apps that enable our children for a long time to live in virtual and alternative realities -- all under the illusion that they are immune from the challenges of adult life.
Seventh, not only do we want our children's world to be perfectly safe, we want them to believe that everyone gets a trophy. Some young people therefore never learn about competition, defeat, failure or victory -- events that happen to everyone at some point in their lives. This attitude of entitlement that everyone gets a trophy undermines everyone. Even in the U.S., the richest country in the world, handouts too often are misdirected and nurture a narcissistic culture of "what's in it for me."
An eighth factor is pessimism. Notwithstanding our greater wealth and achievement of material success, many baby-boomers and others are rather pessimistic about the future. Global warming, refugee crises, terrorism, pollution and other problems have made them concerned about the future. Many have adopted the attitude expressed in W. B. Yeats poem:
"Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand."
Under such circumstances, in an age of anxieties, parents are more likely to keep children close and children are more likely to be less confident as they get the message, explicit or implied, that becoming an adult is a scary and not altogether good thing. Yet, the truth is that today people are living longer than ever before. More people are rising out of poverty than ever before and at a faster rate -- China being an outstanding example. People today are less likely to die of disease. No matter where they are born or what their circumstances, they can, with hard work, drive and perseverance make a way.
A ninth and related factor is the psychological quest for saviors. This in part explains the rise of populism through which citizens look not to themselves and their own efforts but to a "savior" who is somehow going to make everything great again. Instead of waiting for someone else to make it better, we need to take the initiative and do our part in making a positive difference and changing the world by starting right where we are.
Lastly, in my "grouchy old man" view, it is important to remind ourselves as parents that the two most important gifts a parent can give a child are roots and "wings." Our children need to learn to be independent. They need to experience life with all of its successes and failures. That is how they learn to become a responsible adult.
Eugene Clark is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:
http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/eugeneclark.htm
Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
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