The Price of Privilege: How Parental Pressure and Material Advantage Are Creating a Generation of Disconnected and Unhappy Kids
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ISBN: 9780060595852
Type: Paperback
“Fresh and important ideas about parenting in the age of affluence.”—Mary Pipher, Ph.D., author of Reviving Ophelia
They are bright, socially skilled, and loved by their parents. But behind a veneer of achievement and charm, many adolescents from affluent families suffer severe emotional problems including depression, anxiety disorders, and substance abuse at rates higher than those of any other socioeconomic group of young people. Why? In this controversial look at privileged families, psychologist Madeline Levine explodes one child–rearing myth after another, showing how the various elements of a perfect storm––materialism, pressure to achieve, perfectionism, disconnection—are combining to create a crisis for both teens and their parents. While many privileged kids project confidence and know how to make a good impression, alarming numbers lack the basic foundation of psychological development: an authentic sense of self. With empathy and candor, Levine identifies parenting practices that are toxic to healthy self–development and offers thoughtful, practical advice for saving our children’s sanity—and our own.
