It’s been said that when we’re born, our minds are an empty slate. And there’s little doubt about it. That being said, who should be doing the writing? Should it be parents and teachers, or global manufacturers?
Since the end of World War II, our American society has become increasingly materialistic. Everybody wants “things” and more and more of them. Thanks to the advent of credit cards, these things are readily available, whether we can afford them or not. In earlier days if we wanted something we didn’t have the cash to purchase outright, we merely set aside a few dollars from each paycheck until we could afford the purchase. Not any more. Today, it’s a ‘buy now and worry about paying later’ society. This begs the question, “Are we better off now than we were?”
Learning financial responsibility doesn’t usually come into play with our youngsters until they reach their early teens. Pre-teens simply go to Mom or Dad and ask for what they want. Sometimes they get it, with no questions asked. In others, it comes with a lecture about money management. In still others, it’s merely one more entry on an already well-stuffed credit card.
Commercial Interests Seem to Hold the Chalk
Think about all those new minds with empty slates. They are eager to learn—to have their slates filled in. Looking back in time once again shows us that the writers were parents, teachers and older siblings. Not any longer. TV came along and entered virtually every home in our country. This new media was a golden opportunity for commercial interests to reach these young minds in pictures and words. To write their messages on these uncluttered slates to begin creating preference for their offerings while young minds are still malleable. They did it with toys, cigarettes, soft drinks and games. Today, they do it with video games, computers, cell phones and more. You just can’t escape the never-ending impressions on young minds.
It’s pretty clear that commercial interests hold the chalk, isn’t it?
What Happened to the Influence of Parents and Teachers?
It wouldn’t be fair to say that parents and teachers just don’t care anymore, because there are many that do. But there are other socio-economic factors that have come into play and given the commercial interests an edge. One of these is the very-large number of single parent families. Many single parents hold down one or two full-time jobs, which leaves little time to compete with that TV set. They just don’t have the time to write as many impressions on those blank slates as they used to.
Then, there’s social pressure to which kids are very vulnerable. They feel the pressure to keep up with their peers. To have what they have—or more. And, after all, that one-eyed monster in their living room, den or bedroom keeps telling them how much fun their missing without the latest video game system and a potpourri of new games.
Writing These Messages on the Slates Means Tough Times Ahead!
When we relegate our influence to all those folks out there selling things, are we setting our kids up for a bumpy road ahead? Undoubtedly so. And while it’s plain that there are many single-parent families, victims of the current recession and others who, by necessity, spend most of their waking hours dealing with problems, can we really afford to leave writing on these slates to others? I think not!
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