Tuesday, April 11, 2017
The Elf on a Shelf
American culture surely leads to some interesting customs and traditions from time to time. One such tradition is that of the elf on a shelf, made to trick younger children into behaving so Santa may shower them with gifts come Christmas. But what does this teach children? According to this interesting article by the Huffington Post , it is preparing children to live in a dystopian police state. While that is a slight exaggeration, I do believe it is teaching the wrong values. Children should be taught the right way to behave regardless of reward, not just because it will bring them presents one day of the year. It is mainly just a harmless Christmas tradition, but it does relay sort of the wrong message.
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I think it helps kids learn obedience, but it really isn't that serious. The gifts serve as a positive reinforcer, but the fact that there won't always be presents available for every good act they take out, can harm the child's behavior. This tactic should only be used in moderation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statements about what elf on the shelf is teaching kids. I believe it is also teaching them to only behave when someone is watching. Like he said what happens if no one is watching or there are no presents to receive.
ReplyDeleteas a person that took psychology 101, this action is beneficial to the person. the theory of "behaviorism" applies to this concept and in the future the kid will do good things if he/she is being wathced
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