The Pressure and Expectations Placed on Children

23min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

This chapter explores the driving factors behind the pressure and expectations placed on children, including the role of status and parents' own experiences. It discusses the economic insecurity experienced by the upper class and the decline in upward mobility for the middle class. The chapter also emphasizes the importance of discussing family values and redefining success.

It's no secret that we live in a ferociously competitive world. But what is the drive to always be the best doing to our kids? That's what journalist Jennifer Breheny Wallace wanted to know when she set out to write her new book, "Never Enough." The kids, she discovered, are not alright. Teenagers are battling burnout, depression, and anxiety at alarming rates.

How did we let this happen, and what can we do to fix it?

To answer these vexing but vital questions, we invited Jennifer to chat with Daniel Markovits. He's the author of "The Meritocracy Trap" and a professor at Yale Law School, where he's seen toxic achievement culture up close. In this episode, recorded live at Betaworks in New York City, Jennifer, Daniel, and Rufus discuss why our kids are under such unrelenting pressure, what we can do to give them some relief, and the potential role of new technologies, like AI, in creating positive solutions.

---

Host: Rufus Griscom

Guests: Jennifer Breheny Wallace & Daniel Markovits

• Click here to hear Daniel's previous appearance on the show.

• Want the best non-fiction books of the year delivered to your doorstep? Sign up for a Next Big Idea Club subscription at nextbigideaclub.com, and use the code PODCAST to get 20% off and a free copy of Adam Grant's new book, "Hidden Potential"!