Those Peruvian kids have got it going on, and the Americans? In comparison, regarding their ability to I guess hunt down dinner, not so much. Instead of questioning why on earth any reasonable scientist would compare these two groups and then conclude that American kids are hell-bound, the author decides that this is indeed very likely TRUE and searches out numerous "books" to back it up. Most revolting is her reference to Pamela Druckerman's book "Bringing Up Bebe" (how cute). According to Druckerman, who apparently met every single French child and spoke at length with their parents, ALL French children are well behaved, and can manage to sit through a 3 course dinner without so much as moving a muscle. Make no mistake-they NEVER fidget and even eat the intestines. They then light up a Gitane and discuss world politics and Le Cinema. French kids are cool.
Yeah, yeah, American kids are lazy, don't do chores, expect to win and get good grades without trying, and they can't even tie their frickin' shoes (but really, why would you if all your shoes closed with velcro? Hello, easy???)! And it's our fault-the parents. All of us. I guess none of us make their kids do chores, we give them too much stuff, and we let them boss us around. Ok, fine, this might be true for many parents nowadays. But when both parents need to work in order to pay the rent and put food on the table, and when kids need to pretty much have the resume of a 40 year old hedge fund manager who travels to Guatemala in her spare time to build huts for poor indigenous kids (maybe they should get in touch with the Matzigenka?), to get into college, when is there time for chores? For life lessons? For sleep????
Lets cut ourselves some slack. Too many spoiled kids is truly a First World Problem. and not really one we need to obsess over. Kids sleeping in cars without enough food to eat-let's obsess about that. Our high infant mortality rate? Worth some thought.
Yes today's youth may be entitled and annoying, and living in your now exercise room, but let's remember a few things: today's youth are the most civic minded of any generation and volunteer their time at an unprecedented rate, they are less likely to judge someone by the color of their skin, their gender, or their romantic partner. More young people voted in the last presidential election than in the past 40 years. And, they don't have a lock on being directionless and entitled-I am guessing there were a lot of pissed of parents in the late 60's...
So don't worry-have you ever met a college kid who couldn't tie his shoes?