Respecting Authority

This is a topic with so many paths. Let's just briefly touch on why people feel that authority has let them down. Fifty years ago, respect for authority seemed to be ingrained in our culture and society. Our Elders, town leaders, police officers, etc. all held positions of honor within the society. But as the scandals became more numerous, as the incidents of inappropriate actions increased, our respect has slowly eroded. On many levels, the authority figures have not lived up to there roles in our society. But these are not the authority figures I refer to.

Popular media has made it fun or seemingly appropriate to question the motives of everyone. I know a reasonable amount of scepticism can be healthy, but I am talking about the people that have earned our respect. The parents, teachers, co-workers, politicians, etc.

So how did this happen? It has actually been a long process, where the standards of acceptability have been changed. It is now OK to call all adults by their first name. Not a big deal to some, but a slight erosion of respect nonetheless. It's now OK to wear casual clothing at work, but studies show it erodes workplace behavior. People constantly walk in late without a word of apology or they maneuver to try and bypass other people in line. The examples are endless. This is a result of many years of building a society of arrogant, self-centered and entitled children.

If a 5 year old child sees a program about a 15 year old child, they will attempt to act like the 15 year old. If a 15 year old sees adult programs, like "Desperate Housewives" (The #1 rated broadcast network show for the age group 9-12), they might think that the behaviors seen are appropriate.

Many of today's programming show adults as buffoons or inept parents. They also tend to feature a precocious kid that gets all the funny lines by being sarcastic or rude, many times directed towards adults. No wonder kids show such a lack of respect for older people, they think we're all buffoons! Much of the media also focuses on very young adults with either wealth, fame or extremely high profile jobs. This unrealistic portrayal of a "normal" life contributes to the feeling of entitlement so prevalent now. The attitude of "I've been with this company for two years and I'm STILL in customer service" serves to create a generation of unhappy workers whose lives aren't moving fast enough.

I will delve into each of these facets on my Blog, but we all have the opportunity to make a difference. We can discuss with our kids what they see, to help them process all of the information they are exposed to. We can limit what they watch and are exposed to and we can make available healthier alternatives. We can contact the companies that don't seem to care and say "no" to products that refuse to listen. Believe me, a company will change there practices if it hurts them financially. Thank you for listening.