Reddit had a link today to a column from the Wall Street Journal which attempts to explain why the young people today feel so damn entitled. Turns out the blame lies squarely at the feet of Mr. Rogers. 😮
Signs of narcissism among college students have been rising for 25 years, according to a recent study led by a San Diego State University psychologist. Obviously, Mr. Rogers alone can't be blamed for this. But as Prof. Chance sees it, “he's representative of a culture of excessive doting.”
Prof. Chance teaches many Asian-born students, and
says they accept whatever grade they're given; they see B's and C's as
an indication that they must work harder, and that their elders
assessed them accurately. They didn't grow up with Mr. Rogers or anyone
else telling them they were born special.
By contrast, American students often view lower grades
as a reason to “hit you up for an A because they came to class and feel
they worked hard,” says Prof. Chance. He wishes more parents would
offer kids this perspective: “The world owes you nothing. You have to
work and compete. If you want to be special, you'll have to prove it.”
On the flip side, this is from a heartwarming commencement speech given by Mr. Rogers at Dartmouth in 2002.
Our world hangs like a magnificent jewel in the vastness of space.
Every one of us is a part of that jewel. A facet of that jewel. And in
the perspective of infinity, our differences are infinitesimal. We are
intimately related. May we never even pretend that we are not. Have you
heard my favorite story that came from the Seattle Special Olympics?
Well, for the 100-yard dash there were nine contestants, all of them
so-called physically or mentally disabled. All nine of them assembled
at the starting line and at the sound of the gun, they took off. But
not long afterward one little boy stumbled and fell and hurt his knee
and began to cry. The other eight children heard him crying; they
slowed down, turned around and ran back to him. Every one of them ran
back to him. One little girl with Down Syndrome bent down and kissed
the boy and said, “This'll make it better.” And the little boy got up
and he the rest of the runners linked their arms together and joyfully
walked to the finish line. They all finished the race at the same time.
And when they did, everyone in that stadium stood up and clapped and
whistled and cheered for a long, long, time. People who were there are
still telling the story with great delight. And you know why. Because
deep down, we know that what matters in this life is more than winning
for ourselves. What really matters is helping others win too. Even if
it means slowing down and changing our course now and then.
So-called Generation X'ers are often called “entitled” but I think that's as gross of a stereotype as the one the WSJ writer makes about Asian students versus North American ones.
What's my point? I wasn't sure how to end my “eulogy week” (er, Mr. Rogers is dead too, just for the record). But I think something as affirming as that last story – that life is something to enjoy, to celebrate, to live is as good as anything.
Tomorrow, back to your regularly scheduled Facebook and baby poop related posts!
Comments 5
I like the commencement speech, and I don't think that everyone feels this 'entitlement'. I think there are a lot of selfish people in this world, but I also know there are plenty kind, generous, and compassionate people to at least strike a balance.
I watched A Lot of children's television when I was little, the usual line-up of Sesame Street, Mr. Dress-up, Reading Rainbow, Fred Penner, the Elephant Show and unfortunately, some Polk-a-dot door and all of these shows had the underlying message, yes, we're special but, we should also be kind to others and Share, with a capital “S”.
I don't think Mr. Rogers is where we can place all the blame for the entitled youth; Oscar the grouch taught that we all ought to be cynics and…..oh…wait…nevermind…
I'm calling bullshit. We all bought the “asian work ethic” and “tiger economy” story hook, line, and sinker. Apparently it started out initially with the Jesuits back when they went into Japan (which until fairly recently has had a long tradition of protectionism), who were fed stories of long hours and unrelenting toil. These days things are scarcely different. Even for the all the racism of elderly people, they all agree that “the asians” work hard. But do they? Turns out that the tiger economy is predicated on mistaken studies, not realizing that 2 hours at the pub after work doesn't really mean that you are working long hours. Further, step into any library and you will see what it means to study “long hours”—social time and 5 minutes of work dragged out over 12 hours, with the occasional, or even frequent, nap thrown in there for good measure.
So what of entitlement? I think the same reverse orientalism has occurred. Possibly the students are less likely to hit up the teacher for higher grades because they don't understand that this can be done, or some other mundane explanation. But, feelings of entitlement occur just the same, evidenced by cases of rampant cheating and out of control “purchasing” of education (tutors, study materials, etc). We can only hope that the feeling of entitlement that the asian students feel in North America is a product of their elevated class and social standing, not due to some Mr. Rogers or otherwise. Oh right, that's what is missing: class analysis. Doting occurs along class lines, and really isn't the origin of any of this, racially demarcated or not.
There are a couple things I don't like about this article – that the writer obviously has no problem with gross generalizations whether applied to a generation or a race.
I also don't like any logic that says some piece of popular culture, no matter how popular, can have that much effect on a generation. There are exceptions – the Beatles changed society, perhaps 1-2 films, TV shows or books as well. But I don't know if I'd put Mr. Rogers on that level. As you say, all the kids watching Mr. Rogers probably watched Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street too. So…
Why is a sense of entitlement a bad thing? I mean, the baby boomers have it in spades, they just justify it because they've “earned it” by virtue of their age/having worked for 30 years. If a younger person feels entitled to decent treatment at school or in their workplace, in how they're treated by society, is that wrong?
Er, just re-read your comment and my rambling doesn't really address your (good) points. But your point about “maybe Asians don't know they *can* approach a prof if they don't agree with a mark” is sort of what triggered my reply.