[August 01, 2014] Someone recently complained that today’s children are intellectually and physically lazy. The complaint is probably said by the grandmothers of every generation that has come before us; grandmothers, of course, being very smart and strong. At a commencement speech last year, the speaker told the graduates, “you’re pampered, privileged, and oversexed …”1 “Young people” spend more time on their iPhone than studying, working, or simply being with their friends. So, what is wrong with these kids?
Yes, it is true today that kids and young people spend more time indoors than my generation. Our moms kicked us out of the house early and did not let us back in until dark or dinner was ready. Today’s youth are dotted on more, very safety conscious, and have more things to do that occupy their time. Being lazy as well as pampered and privileged is not that bad as long as it does not interfere with future job prospects and happiness. But it does interfere.
The real problem is that young folks are not getting the required level of interaction with people that is needed to be successful at school, college, and jobs … and at life. Those hands-on experiences that accumulate over our first couple of decades are critical to the formation of a well-rounded, successful person. Without the relevant experiences gained in those early years, the young will not be ready to enter the adult world. The right amount of social interaction is calculated to be in the tens of thousands of hours. This cannot be “made up” and there is no extra credit.
What we have is a generation of young people, many of which cannot behave like a mature adult. They will more than likely live at home with their parents or with a group of unmarried friends. Furthermore, they are more at risk for being arrested, having health problems, being fired at work, illegal drug use, shunning responsibility, etc. What is the end for them? Well, that chapter has not been written but if there were a crystal ball of the future, we may see many dysfunctional older adults dependent on society for their monthly check from the government.
They will also produce fewer leaders. Leader development begins early in life. To expect a person to begin leadership training at 21 years of age is unrealistic. Those early life experiences of failure, shame, embarrassment, as well as success and pride, are all part of growing up and planting the seeds of a future leader. Those young adults will produce leaders and great ones too. But the well-developed pool of people from which leadership comes will be smaller than ever before.
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[1] http://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2013/06/memorable-2013.html