I guarantee you that American high school Football players train damm hard, participation trophies or not. So do chearleaders, although and I admit that I had to see them do stuff to realize that the thing is truly hard.
Occasionally, trophies or t-shirts or whatever engage kids that would not even tried knowing they cant win anyway. Which is about the effect. The idea that these symbols are bane of civilization is as wrong as opposite obsession that lacking them would make kids crumble.
Aren't photos and videos sufficient to capture happy memories of events? I thought trophies were given out for proof of skill / accomplishments. Maybe that's not how it works in the US. I wouldn't know, wasn't raised here, but everywhere else in the world, Trophies are not given out to all participants. Cos then doesn't it diminish the accomplishments of the winner(s)??
Thinking about it, the actual top prize is sport scholarship for college.
> Cos then doesn't it diminish the accomplishments of the winner(s)??
No, your accomplishment does not count for less because other people got stuff too. However, your accomplishment depends not just on winning, but also on how important/large the competition was. Being first at local school competition is less then being fourth at more important tournament - just like anywhere else in the world.
> Aren't photos and videos sufficient to capture happy memories of events?
Who cares? I guess that they have also some selfies in that room somewhere, however less visible. I just cant muster any anger or resentment in me over somebody else looking at shiny cheap trophy over .jpeg or over wearing t-shirt they gave out or whatever.
We are talking about community activities people organize because they want to do something for community, for club or because they want make kids to like sport they personally enjoy. It is not like they would be becoming rich on that (there are exceptions). I am not going to fret over their choice of giveaways. Nor start doom and gloom accusing them of destroying whole generation because of cheap shiny thing.
I kind of acknowledge that people who organize these things do more for community then those who don't do anything like that and only complain. For that matter, to lesser effect, I acknowledge that kids who participated did better choice then those who never participated in any event.
Causes mentioned are 1) Parenting, 2) technology, 3) impatience and 4) environment.
#1 most definitely checks out in the US. I have a 17 year old niece (born in 2000) who exhibits the toxic narcissistic and entitlement mentioned about young people in the OP and in the youtube video.
His room is filled with trophies and medals (over 30) and at first glance I thought he was really a future tennis prodigy. Turns out not a single 1 of those trophies and medals were 1st prize, or even 2nd prize. Almost all were "Participation" Trophies. The way he showed them off, one would think they were all 1st prizes.
Growing up in India, we never had anything like this. I was 1st in class for several years at 1 of the top catholic convent schools. The 1st and 2nd in class got books and a certificate as prizes, the rest got nothing. This made it special, so everyone would compete and try to come 1st or 2nd in class.
So I really don't get these "Participation" trophies. By trying to tell the kids - every kid pretty much - they are special, when 99% of them aren't, aren't the parents and school teachers partly to blame for cultivating this "toxic narcissistic" and "entitlement" that they then carry with them for the rest of their lives, into adulthood and into the workplace?