The Problem with Rich Kids - Essay Example

The Problem with Rich Kids Article Summary Many people view that growing up in affluent environments promises a great future, however numerous psychologists fail to uphold this statement. In the article, “The Problem With Rich Kids”, by Suniya S. Luthar, published by Psychology Today corroborates with the view that children from affluent backgrounds are distressed than their counterparts from poor backgrounds. According to Luther, for many decades, people view that the only youths susceptible to a troubled life are kids in poverty. However, this misconception is far from the truth as the rich kids are characterized by depression, eating disorders, theft, cheating, anxiety and substance abuse. Research indicates that poverty is a pivotal determinant of a troubled youth characterized by behavioral, social and emotional problems, for instance Luther states that “experiencing poverty before age 5 is especially associated with negative outcomes” (Luthar Para 1). Consequently, the author goes on to explain that similar and detrimental problems are experienced by the wealthy as their children who learn in prestigious schools, colleges and universities still have social and emotional issues as youths. The maladjustments levels registered in affluent children tend to worsen, as they grow older en route to colleges. In a study conducted by the author in 1990s, on both the poor and the affluent, the rich children were found to indulge in activities of substance abuse like hard drugs than their counterparts. Consequently, a study conducted by Luthar & Latendresse (2) corroborated with the views of Luthar as affluent youths “reported significantly higher use of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, and hard drugs” (Luthar & Latendresse 2). Even though crime is highly likely in poor youths, Luthar states that the levels of wrongdoing among these youths are comparable to those of the affluent society (Luthar Para 4). In an attempt to decipher the cause of various disturbances among affluent youths, Luthar states that it is demand for high-octane accomplishments as “the children of affluent parents expect to excel at school and in multiple extracurriculars and also in their social lives” (Luthar Para 8). Many parents put emphasis on performance and success as they wish that their off springs experience similar gratifications through rich educational environment, professional lives and experiences. As a result of the pressure, the children generate elevated symptoms of anxiety and depression (Luthar Para 18). Purpose of the Argument At the end of the article, it is evident that the intervention to the problems of affluent youths is the underlying purpose of the author. In the conclusive part of the article, Luthar attempts to state the reason as to why the society should care about rich kids (Luthar Para 42). This seems to imply his reasons behind the argument as he argues that it is vital to intervene in the problems that youths experience especially when it concerns their future and careers. The values of today’s youth highly determine the future of societies including politics, education and businesses. The author succeeds in communicating the argument in a substantive way by organizing his ideas in an effective manner. From the onset, Luthar indulges the reader by incorporating the ideas of how the rich have been viewed by the society for many years. He argues that the society feels that youths from a poor background face detrimental social, emotional and behavioral problems. Then he goes on to state the problems that both social stratums face. In this way, Luthar is able to point out his argument by elaborating on the purpose of the article. Furthermore, the author is able to build the argument by incorporating real life issues and analyzing data from various studies conducted on the population. Appeals and Strategies The author uses a captivatingly considerate tone as an appeal to immerse the reader into comprehending the problems that are associated with kids from affluent backgrounds. He begins by stating, “The parents' annual income, at $150,000 and more, is well over twice the national average. And yet they show serious levels of maladjustment as teens, displaying problems that tend to get worse as they approach college” (Luthar Para 2). The author is expressing the disappointments that the children who come from well-heeled backgrounds show as they grow from being teenagers to young adults in them university. The appeal in this strategy of expression is the comparison on the income that the parents of these children earn as compared to the national income. This explains that the level of a parent’s income, say, rich parents, greatly influences the behaviors of a child. It is highlighted by the statement “all the factors that both affect parental income and are correlated with children’s outcomes” (Mayer 23). According to the numerous researches that Luthar refers to, the reader is inevitably persuaded into the comprehension of the perennial problems of the children from rich families. The author cites the problems such as binge-drinking, substance abuse and depression as some of the problems that the children face. Luthar also provides a graphic explanation of the problems that affect children from poor families as well as the ones from rich families through his various valid researches. The researches radiate a strategy that the author is using to convince the reader that the information in the article is not baseless (Luthar Para 6). This creates an enchanting appeal to the reader since it is passing authentic information. For instance, the author reveals that “The bottom line: Across geographical areas and public and private schools, upper-middle-class youngsters show alarmingly high rates of serious disturbance” (Luthar Para 6) to summarize the various researches across different areas that were carried out on the same. Significance of the article The article is an informative snippet of the series of problems that are faced by youths, especially from affluent backgrounds. It is educative on the responsibilities that rich parents ignore only to create a breeding ground for their children to develop irresponsible behaviors. The author states that “Then there are peer norms: "Getting wasted" is often entirely expected at social gatherings. And, of course, there is collusion by some parents, who are all too willing to actively bail out their teens if discovered by authorities” (Luthar 14). This statement is a reflection of the negligent parents who do not care about the crimes that their children are involved in when arrested. The parents only care about the freedom of their children while being oblivious of the importance of punishment for their children’s wrongdoing. Luthar is showing the pathetic moves that rich parents take to perpetuate their children’s ill behaviors such as substance abuse and binge-drinking (Luthar 14). Thus, the article is highlighting the need for parents to take full responsibility of their children on their behavioral changes and valid punishments to ensure they grow to be disciplined kids ((Mayer 33). Moreover, the author is critical in championing for the importance of a parent’s responsibilities in developing good behaviors in their children as well as their performance in school. The article emphasizes this to both rich and poor parents. The growth of a child is greatly influenced by the way he or she is brought by his or her parents. Thus, the article accentuates that parents play a central role in the development of a child’s behaviors. Lastly, the article serves as an eye-opener to the problems that rich kids face on their day-to-day lives. However, the author is vocal in suggesting a panacea to those problems such as systems changes from high school to institutions of higher learning where students should not be put under intense pressure to accomplish unrealistic achievements out of their capability. The tendency of rich parents forcing their children to maintain high standards in education without teaching them on life virtues is also a key ingredient in the development of wayward behaviors among their children (Luthar 43). Thus, the article is highlighting the importance of minimizing pressure on such children by also teaching them life virtues such as kindness and decency. Life virtues are important in building good characters in children. Works cited Luthar, Suniya S. "The Problem With Rich Kids | Psychology Today." Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness + Find a Therapist. Psychology Today, 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 2 June 2014. Luthar, Suniya S., and Shawn J. Latendresse. "Children of the Affluent Challenges to Well-Being." Current Directions in Psychological Science 14.1 (2005): 49–53. Print. Mayer, Susan E. "The Influence of Parental Income on Children’s Outcomes." Raising Children in New Zealand 1.1 (2002): 1-72. Print. Read More