The Impact of Achievement Culture on Kids and Society

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This chapter explores the worries of parents and society regarding the well-being of kids in an achievement culture and presents solutions to dismantle this culture and address the mental health challenges faced by children. The introduction of two guest authors, Jenny Wallace and Daniel Markovitz, who discuss their books, highlights the alarming statistics about anxiety, depression, and substance abuse among high-achieving students.

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.

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Host: Rufus Griscom

Guests: Jennifer Breheny Wallace & Daniel Markovits

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

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