Introduction: Personal Anecdote

• Reflection of my life growing up self reliant
• Establishment of the Paradigm Shift
• Define Helicopter Parent – overbearing and overprotective parents that “hover” over their children
• Thesis Statement: Through evaluation of the change in parenting styles, it can be shown that overparenting has consequential effects on the development of adolescents, leaving them unprepared for the “real world” and obstacles they will encounter as they age.

Evidence of the Shift:

• In different areas of society, the nature of this shift can be seen, showing the ways in which this style of parenting has negative implications.
  • Following graduation from college, more students are returning home to live with parents regardless of their employment status.
    • More students are still trying to find ways to be independent from parental influence when growing up, they constantly had people dictating their lives.
    • This can be attributed to the desire to have other people take care of them and discourages adolescents from taking financial responsibility for themselves and remain in their comfort zones.
  • Media and television have also influenced the way in which children have been coddled in society.
    • The Karate Kid, a movie that came out in 1984 showed a protagonist that was forced to rise above the hardship he faced from bullies in order to overcome challenges and stand up for himself, ideas that correlated with the beliefs of the time.
    • However, with evolution of characters like Harry Potter, children’s view of roles in culture have been changed. Figures in media like Harry Potter were able to get away with whatever they wanted and receive no punishments because they were the “chosen one”. The changes in the protagonists of movies is reflective of the mindset of children between children in older times versus today’s culture.
  • Due to the change in beliefs of parents reflected in their parenting styles, there has been an ideological indication of this shift.
    • The “raised in praise” phenomenon has increased based on the shift of parenting. This phenomenon presents the idea that everyone’s a winner and deserves a trophy even when a child hasn’t done anything worthy of praise.
    • For millennials, there is a high toleration against bullying in any aspect and the phrase “that offends me” is supposed to be taken seriously in all regards. Millennials have grown overly-sensitive to ideas because catering to their every need was often fulfilled by parents.
      • The increased sensitivity found in college students has promoted a greater desire for “trigger warnings”. In a country that stands for freedom of speech, a freedom and expression of ideas is often warranted with reminding people not to offend anyone that doesn’t share their idea.
      • Different viewpoints are no longer viewed as opinions, but rather, criticisms of the other side. By limiting the topics and controversies that can be discussed, the way in which reform and change can be brought about is discouraged.

Why is this shift happening?

• This shift in parenting styles, which in turn has led to a shift to the coddled mindset of children, can be shown as a response to different factors encountered in modern society.
  • There is a growing pressure on children in today’s world to succeed and achieve academically and socially.
    • When applying to colleges students are plagued with trying to be the “whole package”, someone who has a great GPA, standardized tests scores, and takes on leadership roles in several clubs and activities. Students no longer aim to put in the hard work to achieve these accomplishments, but rather, they are looking for a way to check a box.

What is the effect of the shift?

• In evaluation of this shift, the evidence suggests that coddling children results in detrimental consequences.
  • College students are shown to be lacking the ability to cope on their own.
    • Julie Lythcott-Haims, dean of freshmen at Stanford University, noticed that incoming student appeared flawless on paper, but in reality, seemed more incapable of taking care of themselves as parents became more involved in the lives of their children.
      • It can be compared to ordering something online, and then the package arrives, and you realize it’s nothing like the image online.
    • Furthermore, due to an inability to deal with adversity on their own, they are less likely to become successful adults.
    • The evidence suggests that coddled children are unable to meet the demands of their peer groups, demands at school, or the demands of everyday life. When children have “intoxicating” levels of gratification, they are no longer motivated because they never learned resilience (Rock 2016).

Conclusion

• Through evaluation of this paradigm shift, it is clear that a change in society has resulted in the way in which children are raised. Watching children like specimens in a microscope limits their freedom and makes them void as members of society, incapable of producing any new or original ideas than those deemed fit by others around them. This environment has negative sequences on creating members of civic life able to hear and develop opinions on their everyday world. For most people, it is easier for people to point the finger rather than look in the mirror. As human beings, people are capable of great things if they are willing to be challenged, and no single cause can be the blame for this shift in development. Understanding the ways in which society has adjusted for this shift is a way in which to prevent its future complications. By incorporating a parenting style that encourages growth and development while providing nurture and encouragement, the development of civic life will be better able to think about controversies and the spread of new ideas.

Visual: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1TFuPgyMGhEqtyiTqFqb3OS_hAUM8pFRHkMe0drCbrIg/edit#slide=id.g13979187b0_0_10

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