Author: Daily Mail Reporter
Publication: Daily Mail
Date: June 30, 2008
URL: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1030418/Celebrity-culture-decline-family-warps-childrens-values.html
Rising materialism, the cult of celebrity
and the decline of extended families are all contributing to an erosion of
children's values, a report warns today.
Youngsters are learning unhealthy messages
such as the need to have a perfect body and to judge success in terms of acquiring
material goods. At the same time, some parents are treating children as 'possessions'
and not valuing them or family life enough.
The report, based on an inquiry by the Children's
Society, found that two-thirds of 1,176 adults surveyed thought that the moral
values of children today are not as strong as when they themselves were young.
Seven out of ten said that community values
among children today are not as strong as previously. Over half thought there
was more conflict between adults and children nowadays.
Only a third thought that attitudes towards
young people in their neighbourhood were mostly positive. Experts who gave
evidence to the inquiry said that the family was central to the teaching of
values, along with schools and the community.
They stressed the need for parents to set
clear boundaries for children to help them learn right from wrong. Children
should also have the opportunity to develop their own sets of beliefs.
But they warned that society's view of children
is 'frequently negative', with adults viewing them as 'problems to be solved'
and 'at the bottom of the pecking order'.
'Professionals pointed out that children were
often viewed as the possessions of their parents, instead of individuals that
are entitled to the same protection and respect as everyone else,' the report
says.
Some experts complained of an 'emphasis on
material wealth and achievement, rather than modest lifestyles and close relationships'.
The report says: 'Professionals responding
to the inquiry emphasised that children learn most of their values from adults
and expressed apprehension about how certain trends in society are affecting
the values children are learning.
'The rise in materialism, a preoccupation
with celebrity and declining networks of support from community and extended
family were all cited as negative factors.'
Experts expressed concern about the ' superficial
messages' children are learning from the media. One said there were 'pressures
to be perfect' in terms of body shape and to be successful 'judged primarily
in terms of materialistic acquisition'.
Bob Reitemeier, chief executive of The Children's
Society, said: 'We reap what we sow when it comes to teaching children values.
Every adult plays a vital role, which we should nurture as much as we can.'
The report is the sixth from The Good Childhood
inquiry. It will publish its final recommendations in early 2009.
