Well, I was at the pool during “60 Minutes,” but did catch “Dateline” about kids cheating in HS. Seems like as much as 80% or more of a lot of kids papers are copied off of websites. Seems they feel a lot of pressure to get good grades to get into a good school to get a good job. I have had Eagle Scouts turn in merit badge work that was obviously copied. Yes, they have pressure too, to make Eagle Scout as it is one of the major things colleges, military academies, ROTC, etc. give extra points for. Teachers even admitted to ignoring blatant cheating…
So–to get to the on-topic stuff–are these the ones who grow up and become drafters, race bandits, course cutters, etc? How can they rationalize that? For the vast majority of us, there is no material reward for placing in a triathlon. So why do so many do it? Has our society turned a blind eye to cheaters so much that it is now accepted in everything?
BTW–before they got caught, most of the kids said honor and integrity was more important than grades. After they were caught, they all tried to rationalize it…
IMO, a good part of the problem is the emphasise put on grades. At some schools grades are the only thing they look at. We have one of our medical schools up here (McMaster) that rather than looking exclusively at grades also looks at the whole individual thru a series of interviews and evaluations. More weight is given to this than grades. They are trying to find well rounded individuals who they feel would make good doctors and look at other things besides just high marks.
Unfortunately, to many people, the means justifies the end.
At the risk of sounding like an old fart, I believe that we have become a society of “entitlement”. It isn’t just cheating. It goes further than that. It may have begun with the children of the 70s or 80s who rebelled against their parents anti establishment bent or it may just be an ever more privilidged society decaying because their core values are eroding with their affluance. We must always be PC. Everyone must be equal. etc.
You see it every day. The SUV driving and cell phone using youngster running stop signs and red lights. The shop clerk that could give a rip if they service you. etc. The theme just seems to be more and more “it is all about me”. There are few manners or civilities (sic) left.
And we can’t point our fingers at just the priviledged and affluant. As the rich grow richer and the poor grow poorer the poor feel they have a right to get some of what the rich have, and that they are entitled to do whatever they must to get it.
All this leads to the OT question, which is easily answered with the word “yes”. It is not just pressure to perform, but also the entitlement to not perform but to gain through whatever means is necessary that leads to this cheating in whatever activity people engage in now days. I am not trolling for a firestorm here, but it would not hurt for our youth to do a couple of years of national service. This does not mean the military, but they would have to complete a military type boot camp to teach them basic behavioral norms. Then they could spend the rest of their time either in the military or doing some cililian work benefitting their or other’s community(ies). Sad really, since this is what they should have learned at home.
“It may have begun with the children of the 70s or 80s”
It’s nice to be nostolgic and believe that things were better in the good old days when in reality they weren’t. I’m guilty of this misconception myself. Do you really think that politicians were more honest in previous generations than today? Somehow I doubt it.
I will attempt to spare you a long rant(and give you a short one instead.)
Our society has become all about form over substance. We create the seeming of equality instead of actually creating equality. We want high grades, but don’t care about the knowledge that those grades imply. We want fast race times, but don’t want to work for it. We want lots of money, but don’t want to do the work that is necessary to earn it.
In a nutshell, I think we have become an entitled society, where everyone believes that they are special, that the rules don’t apply to them, and that they are somehow more deserving than everyone else.
For the record, I wrote this at the same time as midlifetrisus, and didn’t read that post until after I posted mine.
“It may have begun with the children of the 70s or 80s”
It’s nice to be nostolgic and believe that things were better in the good old days when in reality they weren’t. I’m guilty of this misconception myself. Do you really think that politicians were more honest in previous generations than today? Somehow I doubt it.
You can’t seriously be suggesting that parents should spend their precious time teaching their children morals and ethics?
I’d like to take this moment to say “Dad…I love you.”
Boy, you got that right. Take them shopping instead, right?
I lost my mom late last year and did not realized how much I relied on her guidance until she was gone. It made me appreciate my father more. They lead by word and example. A rarity in any generation. We are blessed.
Even in the schools now they hesitate to “hold a child back.” And don’t even think about the word ‘flunk’. We call at “social advancement”, after all you would not want to hurt a kids feelings.
I feel sorry for these kids when they try to find a true career later on. I don’t think the employer will put up their parents calling in asking why their little darling didn’t get the job!
Too many parents want to give their kids everything and be their ‘friend’ instead of their parent. And the things they should be giving them is their time and discipline.
I firmly believe that this all starts in the home.
I had a mom call me demanding to know why I fired her precious daughter from her lifeguarding job years back. Several reasons I told the Mom, first she couldn’t save a person b/c she froze on the stand, second she couldn’t pay attention for more than 5 min at a time and third when she was given a list of priorities to do #1 being most improtant she started at #5.
The Mom’s response was something along the lines of Those aren’t valid reasons b/c my child works hard and deserves this job b/c she passed her lifeguarding tests.
Some people think the world is owed to them and the rules are designed for someone else. It’s becoming more and more a me first and get the F out of my way society.
I’m in and out of offices all day long, no one even holds open the door for others.
Now, why did you have to go ans post this? Sheezh… I had just talked myself into drafting at all my future races. I mean, nearly everyone else does it, why shouldn’t I? 92 races and no ticket, so I must be doing something wrong.
Anyway, like everyone else, I’ve cheated in a thousand ways. Some call it getting an edge. Some say “everyone does it”. (steroids, epo, etc.) CEOs think they are God’s gift to mankind so they lie, cheat and steal in every legal way possible and in some illegal ways. I don’t care where you work or what you do the temptation to cheat is manifest everywhere in our culture. Doctors do it. Lawyers do it. Judges do it. Police officers do it. School teachers and Sunday School teachers do it.
One of my friends says if you can’t lick 'em, join 'em. Hasn’t nearly everyone decided to do that?
