Tara HolenmeFormer Stanford University Dean of Freshmen Julie Lythcott-Haims spoke out recently about a disturbing trend she’s been seeing among incoming freshmen classes.
While students seem to be getting smarter – she notes that “every batch of freshman is more accomplished than the last. Somehow their median GPA is a little higher, their SAT score is a little higher, they’ve done more AP’s than ever” – there is something else that is getting more common among students that’s much less flattering.
Basically, they’re a bunch of pussies.
Lythcott-Haims said that incoming students lack the basic skills they need to make it as human beings, skills like making eye contact, meeting deadlines, keeping their rooms clean, or advocating for themselves.
The problem? Their parents.
Helicopter parents, to be exact.
This (somewhat) new trend of parents acting as concierge, secretary, personal cheerleader, and defender is (no surprise) seriously stunting their kids’ ability to function as productive members of society.
We see this constantly – students who have their parents badger their teachers about poor grades, who need “safe spaces” to curl up in when finals get too hard.
And these are college students mind you, not third graders as you would be wont to assume.
When these people finally graduate, the rest of us get to deal with them in the real world. These are people who can’t make themselves scrambled eggs or do their own laundry – let alone solve any real-world problems – but expect important and high-paying jobs (and will call on mommy to talk to their big mean bosses when they’re having a hard day or can’t deal with the least amount of criticism).
It’s time for parents to face the music and start practicing that tough love. Otherwise our world is doomed.
H/T: DailyCrackle
