Christopher Travis Source 4

Question: How has the increase of ‘helicopter parenting’ affected college-aged students’ well-being?

Works Cited:

Peebles, M. Ellen.  “The Trophy Kids Grow Up: How the Millennial Generation is Shaking up the Work Place.” Harvard Business Review. 38. n.p.: Harvard Business School Publication Corp., 2008. Business Source Premier. Web. 8 Oct. 2015.

Schiffrin, Holly.  “Helping or Hovering? The Effects of Helicopter Parenting on College Students’ Well-Being.” Journal of Child & Family Studies 23.3 (2014): 548-557. Academic Search Complete. Web. 7 Oct 2015.

“The Trophy Kids Grow Up: How the Millennial Generation is Shaking up the Work Place” by Ron Alsop does a thorough job defining the millennial generation.  They are born between 1980 and 2001 and go by a variety of different names.  These include Generation Y, Generation Next and the Trophy Kids.  Alsop explains that this generation has experience emotional security with their families even though they have lived through tragedies like the September 11^th terrorist attacks, school shootings, and Hurricane Katrina.  Yet they remain full of hope and ambitions for their future.  The Trophy Kids have both strengths and weaknesses.  They strive in a team setting, and are excellent multitaskers.  However they suffer from stress, anxiety, sleep deprivation and this leads them to harmful activities like binge drinking and sexual promiscuity.  The millennials are often seen as conceited and entitled by other generations.  The Trophy Kids are referred to as the “stay-at-home generation” by the market research firm Synovate because of their strong reliance on assistance from their parents.  This has increased recently due to the increase of technology and the ease of communication.  The article even describes the cell phone as a “new high-tech umbilical cord”.  The article points out many negative aspects of the millennials, but it’s not all bad.  They explain how they are an optimistic and philanthropic generation with a strong sense of social responsibility.  They want to make positive change in the world. 

This article has reaffirmed my previous conclusion that this question has many answers.  It’s very difficult to determine whether the effects of hovering parents are more positive or negative.  Although this generation tends to suffer from more stress and anxiety they are optimistic for the future and strive to make a difference.  Does this positive outlook and social responsibility outweigh the negatives?  If the question concerned well-being, than it could be said that anxiety and parental dependence would be negatively effecting that child’s well-being.  On the other hand, it could be said that their positive outlook is attributing to a healthy well-being.  Especially with all the pessimism that has plagued mankind in the past.  While this question doesn’t have on solid answer, it is a question worth discussing.  The next generation’s parents need to know whether or not helicopter parenting is an effective method if should they change their ways in order to better future generations. 

I could put this article in conversation with my previously researched articles with ease.  All four agree that the increase in hovering parents has led to both positive and negative outcomes.  However, they all explain it in different ways.  “Helping or Hovering?” agrees with “The Trophy Kids Grow Up” that the increase of parental supervision and control has strongly effected the Millennial Generation’s well-being.  However they have different reasons why.  “Helping or Hovering” explains that independent choice, confidence, and loving relationships are crucial for a child’s well-being.  Over parenting has caused children to feel less independent and confident in their own decisions, however they have closer relationships with family.  “The Trophy Kids Grow Up” agrees their relationships are closer and less independent, however they argue that the millennial’s are arrogant and over optimistic.  It seems like both articles have valid points, but it seems that the parent’s intent determines whether these kids will be arrogant or less confident.  I think that if a parent is constantly reassuring their kid of their greatness while being over-involved, it will cause that kid to be arrogant and unrealistically optimistic.  However if the over-involved parent controls this child without reassuring them of their abilities, the child will assume that their opinion either doesn’t matter or isn’t good enough. 

            My question hasn’t changed too much since my last journal.  I know now the increase of technology has definitely increased parental supervision and thus increased the effect of hovering parents.  I am still left wondering if there are more examples of these effects, and whether not the over-all effect is positive/negative.  This technological increase has mostly effected the Millennial Generation’s lives, since they have lived through this increase in technology.  Many of these kids are college aged students, so I will keep my focus on this group.  The question that is left to answer is:  Is there a way to prove that the negative/positive effects outweigh the other?  I will continue to look for different sources that explain what the effects of helicopter parenting are and why.