This blog post explores the impact of declining birthrates and nuclear families on children’s community adjustment and discusses the need for special education.
With the declining birth rate and nuclearization of families, our society is changing from the past. This has led to major changes not only in the structure of families but also in the way children are raised. In the past, extended families were the norm, and interacting with siblings was a natural way to socialize, but now most families have only one or two children, which often means that all of a parent’s attention is focused on one child. This lack of children has led to parents pampering their children and making them selfish, and it has also led to a lack of interaction between people due to their familiarity with media such as smartphones and TVs. Overprotection and attention from parents can prevent children from developing the ability to solve problems on their own, which can have a negative impact on their social development in the long run.
This wouldn’t be a problem if a person lived their whole life with parents who could meet all their needs, but life is about living with people with different personalities, and if a child doesn’t adapt to community life, they will naturally have problems in school. School is a microcosm of society, and it is here that children learn to cooperate with others and resolve conflicts. Because of this, I believe that in the future, there will be many children who will not adapt well to community life, and those who are severely affected will need special education.
First, children who are overly dependent on their parents, also known as mama boys and mama girls, will need special education. This is often the result of poor parenting by ‘helicopter moms’. Helicopter moms are overprotective moms who hover around their children their entire lives, jumping in and out of the way of their children’s affairs. This style of parenting limits the experiences children need to solve their own problems and form relationships with others. With fewer children and more affordability than in the past, parents have become overprotective and over-educated, thinking they’re doing it for their children, and this over-education has led to a situation where children are expected to plan, manage, and supervise everything themselves, rather than prioritize socializing with friends. In fact, I once knew a helicopter mom in high school whose child would tell her mom if anything unfavorable happened to her, and the next day her mom would call or come to the school to criticize her teacher or friends. The child did well in school, but she had poor friendships and lacked decision-making power because she was doing what her mom told her to do. Developmental psychologist Robert Harvey Gerst says that one of the most important things to do in adolescence is to gain emotional independence from parents and other adults. Even in school, which is a small society of mommy-boys and mommy-girls, there is a lack of self-determination and self-directed life, so I think this child will have problems when he grows up and becomes an adult, so special education should be provided to help him develop social skills and independence.
Secondly, a child who is addicted to TV, smartphones, and games and does not communicate with people and is addicted to them will need special education. Especially smartphones are more dangerous because they are always with us. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon to see people looking at their cell phones when they meet with friends, and they often use KakaoTalk or Facebook to communicate via text rather than voice. Moreover, the instant gratification that these digital devices offer children makes them avoid the complex emotions and conflicts that come with real-life relationships, which in turn makes it more difficult for them to communicate with people. In addition, when dealing with people, there can be stresses that come with relationships, and TV and smartphones are one-sided, so they don’t have to deal with those stresses. Dependence on these devices can become addictive if it becomes severe enough, and it can also lead to maladjustment in school as peer interaction is cut off. Because it’s more fun to play with electronics than it is to hang out with friends, they won’t be interested in their peers, which can lead to problems fitting in as an adult. To correct this early on, they need socialization education to get them used to interacting with people.
The need for special education is becoming more and more important in the current education system. However, there are financial problems and the fact that not everyone can be selected for special education. For example, a child who simply has ADHD can be pushed to the back of the line for special education, even though he or she may have special needs. She believes that the scope of special education should be broader in the future, and that it should be developed to meet the specific needs of a wide range of children. I also hope that people will realize that everyone has different needs, and that special education can be used to help them with those needs. In addition, it is necessary for society to develop a culture of acceptance and respect for these different needs, not only in special education, but in general. This will ultimately contribute to creating a healthy society where everyone can coexist.
