To read the article, that doesn’t seem like a stretch: we learn about a group of 4-year-old Alphas who refer to themselves as “The A Group” and an 8-year-old’s to-do list that reads “1. Clean room (my instructions), 2. Make Nayla miserable, 3. Be mean to Nayla, 4. Pick on Nayla, 5. Terrorize Nayla a bit.”
Of course, there have always been jerks and cliques, and any parent who doesn’t think so hasn’t been in First Grade in a while. But what’s different is that the behavior’s increasingly precocious: kids are, if you believe some experts, more manipulative and more conscious of social leverage. Parents in the article are quick to blame “media” — be it the sassy infants of contemporary TV or the transparent social machinations of social-networking culture.
Kids’ media always had bad apples, but be it Nellie Olsen or Veruca Salt, they were the bad guys — and they got their comeuppance. What’s more, they were always backed by enabling, indulgent adults who encouraged their behavior: the bad kids were spoiled. People have pointed to the Harry Potter books as examples of old-fashioned storytelling, and in that regard it’s true: Draco, the bad kid, has bad parents (and the heroes, rather than being precociously sassy, are loyal, kind and smart.) Contrast? Tiny Monsters, a new “South Park for 12-year-old girls.” The weird part is, the makers seem to be positioning this as…empowerment. Says executive producer Ali Rushfield, “At the age of 12, [girls reach] the apex of their power…That’s as powerful as you get until you potentially become like Hillary Clinton.” She’s comparing being a Mean Girl bully to Secretary of State. If you’re looking for some casual issues, here’s food for thought.
Too Cruel For School [NY Post]
