When \u2063undergraduates entered university education programs three decades ago, professors emphasized the importance of instilling in future teachers the belief\u200b that their\u200b choices and actions determine their outcomes. It \u200cwas all \u2063about fostering an internal locus of control, where students understood that their grades would suffer if they chose not to do their homework.<\/p>\n

Fast forward\u2064 to today, and\u200d children are being taught the exact opposite. They\u200b are \u2064led to believe that if their grades are \u200blow, it’s because of external factors such as trauma, \u2062learning disabilities, or a hostile learning environment<\/a>. They are taught \u200cto have an external locus of control, always blaming someone else for their failures and\u200d believing they\u200d are too broken to overcome challenges.<\/p>\n

In her groundbreaking book, “Bad\u2062 Therapy: Why the \u200dKids\u200b Aren’t\u2062 Growing Up,” \u200cAbigail Shrier exposes the well-intentioned origins of \u200bthis therapeutic approach to childrearing and the havoc it has\u200c wreaked.<\/p>\n

While the \u200cshift towards \u200bgentler parenting and trauma-informed care initially aimed to nurture children’s emotional\u200d well-being, the alarming rise in depression, suicidal thoughts, and\u200c reliance on psychotherapeutic drugs among adolescents and teens suggests that something has gone awry. The pendulum has\u2064 swung too\u200b far, \u200cwith the focus\u2064 now\u2063 on children’s happiness rather \u2062than their development into responsible individuals.<\/p>\n

Instead of teaching children to respect their parents, elders, and become \u200dproductive citizens, the current child-focused perspective emphasizes that children know what they\u200c need and that happiness\u200d is the ultimate goal in life. However, as Shrier reveals through extensive interviews with mental health<\/a> professionals<\/a>, \u2064relentlessly \u200bpursuing\u200b happiness\u200c often leads to disappointment.<\/p>\n

Rooted \u200cin humanistic psychology from the \u20641940s, our current cultural \u2062mindset demands immediate therapeutic intervention for any negative emotional experience.\u200b This approach, involving mental\u2062 health \u200dprofessionals, school staff, and well-meaning parents, fails\u2063 to acknowledge that not everyone\u2062 benefits from talking\u200d about their problems. It also perpetuates a cycle of dependency on treatment\u200b and undermines children’s\u2063 agency and independence.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

In her book, Shrier outlines ten harmful consequences of this therapeutic\u2063 model:<\/p>\n

Kids become \u2062hyper-focused on their \u2064feelings<\/strong>, making them susceptible to manipulation and unable\u2064 to manage their\u2062 emotions independently.<\/li>\n

Kids ruminate endlessly on their feelings\u200c and experiences<\/strong>, which is a major predictor of\u2062 depression.<\/li>\n

Emotional \u200dsuffering gets rewarded<\/strong>, perpetuating a cycle of victimhood.<\/li>\n

Worries \u200care accommodated instead\u200b of \u200bovercome<\/strong>, leading to increased fear and intolerance.<\/li>\n

Children \u2064are over-monitored<\/strong>, resulting in a \u200clack \u2063of agency\u2062 and\u200d heightened anxiety.<\/li>\n

Diagnoses are handed out too freely<\/strong>, causing children to believe something is wrong with them.<\/li>\n

Drugs are often \u200bprescribed<\/strong>, potentially numbing children to life’s challenges.<\/li>\n

Kids are\u2064 encouraged to share their “trauma”<\/strong>, even though \u200dtalking about it may not always be helpful.<\/li>\n

Young adults are encouraged to cut off\u200b their families<\/strong>, blaming them for all their unhappiness.<\/li>\n

Dependency on \u2062treatment is fostered<\/strong>, eroding children’s agency and independence.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
The therapeutic model \u200cof childrearing has infiltrated \u200bschools,\u200b homes, and our collective consciousness, causing harm\u200d instead of promoting growth. It has\u2064 shifted the focus from responsibility to blame, from \u2064mature behavior to\u200c self-centeredness, from respecting parental authority to breaking\u200d up\u2063 families, and from fostering resilience to cultivating\u200d victimhood.<\/p>\n
According \u2062to Shrier, the cure lies in good old-fashioned\u2064 parenting that \u2063combines love and\u200c discipline in equal measure. If you have any involvement \u2062with \u2062children, whether \u200cas a parent,\u2062 teacher, or simply someone who knows \u200dchildren, I highly recommend reading “Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren’t Growing Up.”\u200c This book has the potential to change the world for \u2063over-therapied \u2063kids who are missing out \u2064on developing resilience.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
rnrn <\/p>\n
How has the \u2063shift towards an external locus\u2064 of control in education impacted students’ ability to take responsibility for their choices and actions?<\/h2>\n
When undergraduates entered university education programs \u2063three decades ago, professors emphasized the importance of\u200c instilling in future teachers the\u200b belief\u200b that their\u200b choices and\u200d actions determine their outcomes. It \u200cwas all \u2063about fostering an internal locus of control, where\u2063 students understood that their grades would suffer\u2062 if they chose not to do their homework.<\/p>\n
Fast forward\u2064 \u2064to today, and\u200d children are being taught the exact opposite. They\u200b are \u2064led to believe that if their \u2064grades are \u200blow, it’s\u200d because of external factors such as trauma, \u2062learning disabilities, or a hostile\u200d learning environment.\u2063 They are taught \u200cto have an external locus\u200b of control, always blaming someone \u2064else for their failures and\u200d believing they\u200d are too broken to overcome challenges.<\/p>\n
In her groundbreaking book, “Bad\u2062 Therapy: Why\u2063 the \u200dKids\u200b Aren’t\u2062 Growing Up,” \u200cAbigail Shrier exposes \u2062the well-intentioned origins of \u200bthis therapeutic approach to\u2062 childrearing and the havoc it has\u200c wreaked.<\/p>\n
While the \u200cshift\u200d towards \u200bgentler parenting and trauma-informed \u200ccare initially aimed to nurture children’s\u200b emotional\u200d well-being, the alarming rise in depression, suicidal thoughts, and\u200c reliance on psychotherapeutic drugs among adolescents and teens suggests that something has gone awry. The pendulum has\u2064 \u2063swung too\u200b far, \u200cwith the focus\u2064 now\u2063 on children’s happiness rather \u2062than their development into responsible individuals.<\/p>\n
Instead of teaching children to respect their parents, elders, and \u2064become \u200dproductive citizens, the current child-focused perspective emphasizes that children know what they\u200c need and that happiness\u200d is the ultimate goal in life. However, \u200bas Shrier reveals through extensive interviews with \u200c mental \u2063health professionals<\/a>, \u2064relentlessly \u2063\u200bpursuing\u200b \u2062happiness\u200c often \u2062leads to disappointment.<\/p>\n
Rooted \u200cin humanistic psychology from the \u20641940s, our current cultural \u2062mindset demands immediate therapeutic intervention for any negative emotional experience.\u200b \u2062This approach, \u200binvolving mental\u2062 health \u200dprofessionals, school staff, and well-meaning parents, fails\u2063 to acknowledge that not \u2063everyone\u2062 benefits from talking\u200d about\u2064 their problems. It also perpetuates a cycle \u200cof dependency on treatment\u200b and undermines children’s\u2063 agency and independence.<\/p>\n
In her book, Shrier\u2064 outlines ten harmful consequences of this therapeutic\u2063 model:<\/p>\n
1. Kids become \u2062hyper-focused\u2064 on their \u2064feelings, making them\u200d susceptible to manipulation and unable\u2064 to\u200c manage their\u2062 emotions independently.<\/p>\n
2. Kids ruminate endlessly on their \u2063feelings\u200c and experiences, which is a major predictor of\u2062 depression.<\/p>\n
3. Emotional \u200dsuffering gets rewarded, perpetuating a cycle of victimhood.<\/p>\n
4. Worries \u200care accommodated instead of \u200cbeing challenged,\u2062 hindering the\u2063 development \u2063of resilience.<\/p>\n
5. Children are \u2064taught that discomfort and failure are unacceptable, \u200cpreventing them from developing coping skills and resilience.<\/p>\n
6. The focus on mental health becomes a form \u200cof self-obsession, inhibiting social and emotional\u2062 growth.<\/p>\n
7. The emphasis \u200con \u200dhappiness undermines the importance of effort, hard work, and determination in\u2063 achieving success.<\/p>\n
8. Children are shielded from consequences, denying them the opportunity to learn from their mistakes and grow.<\/p>\n
9. The therapeutic model fosters a culture of fragility,\u2064 where any adversity becomes overwhelming and insurmountable.<\/p>\n
10. Children fail to develop a sense of agency and personal\u2063 responsibility when\u2062 they constantly rely on external factors to explain their failures.<\/p>\n
As parents, educators, and policymakers, it is crucial to\u2063 critically \u200cevaluate the current approach to childrearing and education. While emotional well-being is important, we \u2064must also prioritize the development of resilient, \u200bresponsible individuals who can navigate the challenges \u2063of life with\u200d confidence and independence. By promoting \u200dan internal locus \u2063of control and fostering \u200da growth mindset, we can equip children with the tools they need to thrive in an ever-changing world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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