Pressures from formal education, society, and commercial influences are becoming more and more prevalent in many children these days. This essay attempts to clarify the underlying motives behind this tendency, before outlining several viable solutions that should be adopted to tackle it.
There are two primary reasons as to why children are facing more and more pressures. First and foremost, it could be due to the education system. In fact, many schools in many Asian countries tend to force students to achieve exceptional results by imposing heavy workloads and rigid performance standards. This may lead to numerous mental health issues for teenagers, such as stress and other health-related problems. Furthermore, the prevalence of pressures nowadays in children would be attributed to societal expectations. In many cultures, children’s academic achievements are usually regarded as a reflection of their family’s social standing; therefore, many parents are likely to put pressure on their children from an early age with the desire that they might secure admissions from prestigious universities and eventually a lucrative job. Moreover, the rapid development of advertising often promotes consumerist values in many adolescents. To be more specific, commercial advertising can place additional pressure on children by encouraging them to purchase fashionable clothes, state-of-the-art digital devices and other products in order to fit in with their peers.
To combat these worrying issues, the following essential steps should be taken. One measure is that the education system should prioritize holistic development rather than purely academic attainment. For instance, schools could reduce excessive homework for learners and provide them with the opportunity to engage in social projects and extracurricular activities, thereby fostering their essential life skills, including communication and problem-solving skills. Another approach is that parents should encourage their children to focus on personal growth instead of competitive achievement. This may create a positive environment and alleviate mental health issues for adolescents. Finally, schools should teach students about advertising. For example, they could integrate media literacy into school programmes in order to help teenagers understand psychological techniques being used in advertisements these days. This might help students become less likely to be manipulated, thereby making informed purchasing decisions.
In conclusion, there are some driving factors behind this negative phenomenon, and it is crucial that the aforementioned measures be implemented to deal with this issue.