Helicopter ancestors. The real reason for the discontent of British teenagers

English society is interested not only in the problems of the survival of horses and zebras , but also in the future of their own young generation.

The following is a translation of an article about the problems of children and their upbringing in England. Although, it seems to me that these same questions concern not only children growing on the other side of the western borders ...

It is said that children growing up in the UK are among the most miserable in the industrialized world . The UK currently has the highest rates of self-harm in Europe . And the annual review of the NSPCC child protection service indicates this as one of the main reasons why children go to charity organizations.

Fig_1. Children are under constant control and management, it is not surprising that this affects their mental health.

The mental health of children is becoming one of the most pressing problems of British society. A recent report from the Prince ’s Foundation stresses that an increasing number of children and young people are dissatisfied with their lives, sometimes with tragic consequences.

This is a generation of young people who are called snowflakes - unable to cope with stress and more prone to resentment. They are also said to have less psychological stability than previous generations, and are too emotionally vulnerable to cope with the problem on their own.

Social networks are likely to play a role in all this. Studies show that almost three quarters of teenagers between 12 and 15 years old in the UK have a profile on social networks and spend an average of 19 hours a week on the Internet. After all, this is a generation of Facebook, and never before have children grown up with such daily bombardment of photos, merchandise and messages.

But there are other reasons that are much closer to home. In our new book, The Taming of Childhood? We argue that children and young people may actually have less resilience than previous generations, but this is explained by the fact that they have less opportunities for its development. The reason for this is that childhood turns into dog training.

"Dangers" of childhood

The childhood in our days is often perceived by parents as fraught with danger. Not only are there problems with where children can play, with whom they can talk and what they should and should not do, but the Internet has opened up a completely new set of problems that parents and the police have to experience.

Children's life is literally choking them. Children can no longer spend time with friends unsupervised, explore their community, or hang out in groups without arousing suspicion. There are very few unsupervised games and activities for children in public places or even in homes, and their free time is often eaten by homework or organized activities.

It also depends on how children are taught in schools, and how the desire for success led to a taming of education . But if children never have difficulties, if they never experience misfortunes or personal risks, then it is not surprising that they will not have enough resilience.

Taking control

It is not a consequence of any particular change or development, nor is it done intentionally. In many ways, the suppression of the experience of children is often wrapped up with the idea that it is better for children, or with thoughts of becoming a good parent.

This can be seen in safety approaches designed to eliminate all risks to the lives of children. Or in approaches to education, when adults make decisions and limit the possibilities of children. Ultimately, this means that children have less opportunity to intervene, explore and experience their own world.

Concepts about good parenting, highlighting knowledge of where children are and maintaining their safety, combined with cutting-edge ideas that treat children as naturally vulnerable, also fail to recognize their ability to cope with situations that we, as adults, consider difficult.

All this is happening amid growing concerns about the well-being of children. But what adults consider important for the child’s well-being, and what children themselves consider important, may not coincide.

Competitive education

Children are often seen in terms of who they will become, and not who they are. This led to an increase in the intensive type of education, often called helicopter education. Studies have shown that well-being is reduced in children who experience helicopter education.

It is possible that the competitive nature of modern society contributes to the fact that parents dominate the lives of their children for reasons that are reasonable for them. But at the same time they act against the long-term interests of their children.

The idea that children should not be at risk and should be protected from everyday adversity, means that parents limit where children can go and what they can do, especially when they are unattended. This leads to childhood, which for many children is characterized by supervision, surveillance and the absence of any real problems.

Thus, it is not a problem of youth, but a problem of society and parents. It is clear that in this case, parents need to be supported, not condemned , so that they can feel confident that their children will receive a certain level of decision-making and freedom. Children should also be considered more valuable to society so that a playground for children without supervision will once again become a popular destination. Education also needs to be rethought so that children are not under constant pressure, but can again become independent and cheerful people.