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The negatives of a participation trophy
How self - esteem is important in human development
The negatives of a participation trophy
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Generation Z has become weaker-minded and feels a sense of entitlement, and because of this, they are unable to deal with adversity. Participation trophies give a false feeling of equality. They make kids think they don’t have to try to win. They aren’t taught that they have to earn things because everything is being handed to them. Participation trophies are something for weak losers that never learned that they needed to actually win something to be rewarded. Not everybody can win, and that isn’t being made clear to those who aren't really winning. With no competitive nature, no desire to be the best, and no real experience with how life really is, this generation has essentially been mentally screwed over by participation trophies. We are honestly a pitiful generation, and participation trophies are a huge part of that. Weak-mindedness, a great struggle for our generation, is one of the leading causes of stupidity. The weak-minded fools of our generation are the ones who will someday be in charge of things in this country. From an extremist view, participation trophies could quite possibly be the downfall of the entire country. We are being set up to …show more content…
From mensjournal.com, “At the far end of the spectrum, inflated self-esteem has been found in criminals, junkies, and bullies, which is supposed to have been what the self-esteem movement was trying to steer children away from.” Bullies, criminals, and junkies. Most of which lie, steal, cheat, and have violent tendencies. They feel entitled to get what they want, so they steal it, beat people up for it, or do other terrible things to get it. Kids feel entitled to get exactly what they want, when they want it. They have big heads and big egos, all due to the fact that they are given a reward for just showing up. From washingtonpost.com, “It seems that we have an entitlement issue with our young adults — an issue even those young adults wholly admit
Our society has shifted its beliefs in how we should treat competition in young people. The question is asked, should all kids get a participation trophy? As it may seem to be an unanswerable question, it honestly isn’t. Thought that the participation trophies may send the message that “coaches” value the kids’ efforts despite their abilities, trophies do not need to be given out. Your words mean just as much when you remind an athlete that you value them in more ways than one. Some may think trophies are a great idea because it shows that everyone’s a “winner.” However, I disagree with that idea. I believe that kids should know that they need to work their hardest in order to be rewarded and understand that not
Every kid on the football field has a trophy. Even the kids who are on the losing team. Kids’ and parents’ faces are bright with smiles, and laughter echoes throughout the field. Kids are showing off their miny trophies, each with a bronze football on them. No one is paying attention to the two feet tall, gold, first place trophy that is in the winning team’s coach’s hand. Everybody is focused on the miniature trophies. Why are these trophies so special? These are participation trophies. Every kid gets one just for participatcuing in a game. Kids started getting participation trophies in the 20th Century. They got the trophies to feel more confident about themselves. Trophies should not be given to every kid because of narcissism increase,
Some argue that participation trophies are going to be the downfall of society and human life in general. That is not the case but, there are many downsides of these awards, in this essay a few of these will be brought to attention. Participation trophies do not teach children valuable lessons.
According to researcher and author of “Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing,” Ashley Merryman says “having studied recent increases in narcissism and entitlement among college students, (she) warns that when living rooms are filled with participation trophies, it’s part of a larger cultural message: to succeed, you just have to show up.” She also says “if children know they will automatically get an award, what is the impetus for improvement? Why bother learning problem-solving skills, when there are never obstacles to begin with?” She goes on to say handing out trophies undermines kids’ success: “The benefit of competition isn’t actually winning”. Another author says “when you’re constantly giving a kid a trophy for everything they’re doing, you’re saying, ‘I don’t care about improvement. I don’t care that you’re learning from your mistakes. All we expect is that you’re always a winner’” (Ross). These particiation trophies have many negative effects that can make these children less succesful in competitive enviornments: such as college or in the work force. It will also make them less prepared for an independent life after leaving
The book Generation Me by Jean M. Twenge talks about many strong problems we in in today’s world. It has always been taught that our thoughts and feelings are important. It's no surprise that students are now being tested on it. Even when schools, parents, and the media are not specifically targeting self-esteem, they promote the equally powerful concepts of socially sanctioned self-focus, the unquestioned importance of the individual, and an unfettered optimism about young people's prospects. It explores the consequences of individualism that go beyond self-esteem, and all the ways that we consciously and unconsciously train children to expect so much out of life. Narcissism is displayed many times throughout Generation Me but I will be focusing on narcissism portrayed through parents and children, I do believe this happens often in this day and age.
A participation trophy can help a child's drive to improve. When a child plays a game and loses, but then watches the other team get a trophy they feel that they suck and won't try to improve. Once they get a participation trophy they make the child feel like they did good and that next time if they get better they will get a bigger trophy for winning and not losing. For instance, “Further, studies also tell us that children who participate in sports get better…”(Huffington 1). This exemplifies that children who participate feel the drive to get better at the sport. When inferring that since they participated they are getting an award if makes them feel like they did good, and then they want to get even better to get a better reward. Thus making the kids get better at the sport showing that participation trophies are beneficial to children, but there are more opportunities to show how they are
Trophies were once infrequent in society. You would have to go to your local jewelry store and spend top dollar on a shiny piece of sterling silver or gold. Thus, you didn’t see a whole lot of children running around with new trophies every week. However, with the arrival of the 1960s, many factories that had been once used to produce military goods during WWII would now be available for mass-production consumer goods. Trophies would now be marketed and sold to coaches and athletic departments, or available at your hometown sporting goods store (Merryman). In modern day society, sports participation trophies are almost guaranteed, ensuring every child is a “winner” at the end of the day. These participation trophies are extremely harmful to our youth and should only be given out when deemed necessary.
Competition should not be enforced because it makes people feel too stressed and feel like winning is all that matters. “Competition is not inevitable part of human nature, that it causes anxiety and shame, that it creates disabling stress that inhibits performance, and that it fosters aggression and hostility.” (Kohn 1) According to this information it shows just how this hurts people and stresses people way too much. Nobody wants anxiety and shame or stress from just a silly competition. Levine, a clinical psychologist says, “The pressure faced by many children in competitions are leading to an increase in mental health disorders, drug abuse, anxiety and sometimes suicide.”(1) This should open many eyes to see what competition is doing to people. Putting them under way too much that it leads to either physical or mental problems, which is not right. Competition should be taken out of human society obviously when it is coming from a clinical psychologist to do so. “We adults naturally want to insulate our kids from the insanity that awaits them. But are we doing them any favors? Yes, kids have to learn that life is about a lot more than winning and losing. Yet, if we work so hard to cushion them from experiencing loss, when the sting finally finds them, it’s bound to feel more significant...
Over the past few decades, American society has become more and more obsessed on performance outcomes and winning; being declared the best has become most important (Crain, 2004). Winning is often viewed as an all or nothing virtue, whereby greatness is a descriptive term reserved only for those whose names appear at the top of the list (Hanchon, 2011). This evolving mindset communicates to our youth that despite his or her efforts, only the final results matter. For many individuals the ideas of achievement, excellence, and self-worth have become highly dependent upon the perceived outcomes of the competitions or events in which they engage (Hanchon, 2011). Outperforming one’s competitors serves as the defining characteristic of success or excellence, which in turn, appears to serve as a key determinant in the individual’s self-assessment of life satisfaction (Harackiewicz, Barron, & Elliot, 1998).
Imagine that you just got done sitting on the bench during your basketball tournement. You sat the whole game and your team just lost. After you shake hands with the other team the anouncer calls both teams onto the center of the court. Your coach hands you and all of your other teammates a trophy that says "Good job! At least you tried." You cannot believe that you just got a trophy for sitting on the bench the whole game, not doing anything. All you had to do was show up and you get a trophy weather you win or lose. Although some people argue that participation trophies are good for your self-esteem, I believe that they are useless and a waste of money.
L. Hefferman’s article “ In Defense of Participation Trophies: Why they really do teach the right values?” it states “ An award is not really an award if everyone gets it.” (Today.com) In another article by Ashley Merryman called “Losing is Good For You” it says “Awards can be a powerful motivators but nonstop recognition does not inspire children to succeed. Instead, it can cause them to underachieve.” (New York Times Sept. 2013) It is clear, by not giving participation awards it make the children who do get awarded feel more special than if everyone gets one. Obviously, not giving participation awards to everyone gives more of a boost of self-esteem to the people who do get
Todays generation of kids have been crafted to expect praise for everyday tasks and have become entitled all because of something many people thought was harmless, participation trophies. If you ask anyone, they have probably recieved a participation trophy at least once in their life and some will think it was a good thing, but others may beg to differ. In my opinion participation trophies are a bad tool in life because it goes along and is a big part of the we are all winners concept. Trophies should be a symbol of accomplishing something not a symbol of participation in an activity and a few people have written about their opinion about this situation varying from critical writers, to college athletes from around the country here are
It’s loud but you ignore it, you’re on stage waiting, hoping that you won first place. Heart racing, palms sweating, fingers fiddling, this is the most nerve racking moment of your life. They call your name. You won! The trophy is beautiful, but everybody is too distracted by their own shiny trophies. Your gaze jumps back and forth because their trophy is almost identical to yours. The joy of winning slowly fades as you think to yourself “I won, big deal.” Late in the 20th century this tradition kicked off. People no longer need to win to get a reward. Trophies are now given to everyone for participating, this way nobody feels left out. Trophies should not be given to everybody because the trophies will lose their importance, while setting the expectation that people will be rewarded for doing what is required and no one will strive to improve.
Trophies are meant to encourage children as they start out in sports, but not to depend on them. How is a child going to learn the importance of losing and not giving up if awarded for everything he or she does? The kid that works hard and wins will lose the desire to do his or her best, if everyone becomes the winner. When children are starting out in sports and learning the basics, the reward isn’t so important; therefore, presenting awards at this time could be more effective (Henson). Once a young person has learned the basics of sports and what it
Far too soon, a few children are singled out for their athletic promise. . ." ( 239). I believe competition is beneficial because children learn that outcomes are often determined by one 's effort. Life affords many opportunities that may result in disappointment. Children that participate in competitive sports learn how to deal with disappointment without being consumed by it. Statsky also made the point that parents and coaches take the fun out of playing and focus primarily on competing. When I began playing sports, no record was kept of the score. I remember team members asking, "Did we win?". Therefore, I believe that even small children understand that games are developed to be won or