Bad Economy = Better Kids?

In the discussion about the effects of our economic travails on our society, there's an interesting opinion: Buckling down on consumerism is good for kids. And it's a tough idea to argue with.

Entitlement (in the non-governmental sense) breeds spoilt kids. That only makes sense. When 6-year-olds have cell phones and every single kid who can push a button has an X-Box or Playstation, when toys worth hundreds of dollars are just expected, when after-school activities and summer camps and sports camps and kid clubs keep kids from doing chores or having real responsibilities, we've got a problem.

Interesting opinion on this in the Detroit Free Press. From that:

By and large, today's kids have no chores. Their parents are too busy running them to completely superfluous after-school activities that may build certain skills, but fail to build what endures: good citizenship -- which, by the way, parents once maintained began in the home. Not on the ball field.

I don't have kids yet, but again, I have a hard time arguing with this. Chores are good. Responsibility to family is good. Expecting to have things handed to you is bad. So, maybe the downturn is good in this way, too. Silver linings, right?

Thx Jessflynn.