The Argument Against Trophies for All

Undermining the Value of Hard Work

There's been a lot of talk about the whole "Trophies for All" thing in youth sports these days. The idea is to give every kid a trophy, no matter how they did, to make them feel good and included. But not everyone thinks it's a great plan. Some folks argue it kind of messes with the idea that hard work pays off. If you give out trophies like candy, then kids might think effort doesn’t really matter. A study from the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology points out that when people get rewards for nothing, their natural drive to do stuff just 'cause they like it can take a hit (Deci, Koestner, & Ryan, 1999). So yeah, if kids get trophies just for showing up, why should they bother putting in extra effort?

And let’s think about society too. Success usually ties in with working hard and sticking with it. Teaching kids these values early on is super important. The Harvard Business Review says grit and a growth mindset are key for long-term success (Dweck, 2006). If we keep giving out participation trophies, are we robbing kids of that awesome feeling you get when you’ve really earned something? Maybe.

Fostering a Sense of Entitlement

Another big problem with participation trophies is that they might make kids feel entitled. Like, if they're getting awards without really trying or achieving anything special, won't they start expecting rewards all the time? That attitude could spill over into school and even their jobs later on.

A book called "The Narcissism Epidemic" by Twenge and Campbell talks about how younger generations are getting more narcissistic and entitled (Twenge & Campbell, 2009). They say always telling kids they're special and giving them unearned praise boosts their self-importance way too much. A survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that employers see more new grads coming in with unrealistic expectations and not enough resilience (NACE, 2018).

Impeding the Development of Resilience and Competitiveness

Trophies just for participating might also mess with how kids develop resilience and competitiveness—stuff that's super important when life throws curveballs at us. Dr. Angela Duckworth, who's an expert on grit, says failing sometimes is key to learning resilience (Duckworth, 2016). If kids never deal with losing or not being number one because they're shielded by participation trophies, aren't we taking away chances for them to learn from their mistakes?

Plus, competing is a huge part of growing up socially and personally. It pushes you to better yourself and teaches teamwork, setting goals—things you'll use your whole life! A study in Psychological Science found kids who compete have more motivation than those who don’t (Hodge, Lonsdale, & Ng, 2008). By making competition less important with all these trophies just for showing up, are we squashing these critical growth opportunities?

Conclusion

So yeah, while giving everyone a trophy sounds nice 'cause it promotes inclusivity and self-esteem, we've got to watch out for some potential downsides. Handing out trophies left and right can undermine hard work's value, feed entitlement attitudes, and slow down the development of crucial skills like resilience and competitiveness.

If we're trying to help kids grow into capable adults ready to tackle life's challenges head-on someday soon—shouldn’t we focus more on encouraging real effort instead? Giving them tools like perseverance or striving for excellence seems like it'd prepare them better for tomorrow's demanding world.

References

• Dweck, C.S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House.
• Deci, E.L., Koestner R., & Ryan R.M. (1999). A meta-analytic review of experiments examining the effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 125(6), 627–668.
• Duckworth A.L., et al. (2016). The Role of Grit in Predicting Student Performance. Educational Psychologist.
• Hodge K., Lonsdale C., & Ng J.Y.Y. (2008). Motivation in sport: A self-determination theory perspective. Psychological Science.
• NACE (2018). Job Outlook Survey Results.
• Twenge J.M., & Campbell W.K. (2009). The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement. Free Press.