Home / AHF Publications & Reports / The Drift

Children, Research and Common Sense

My wife teaches eighth grade English in an inner-city school. Most of her students are from low income families, most read well below grade level, and practically all of them have their own cell phone.

I thought about this when I read recently that the federal government is planning a massive $2.7 billion "womb to adulthood" study of the health of America's children. Kids are too fat and have diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure that used to be considered adult worries. Researchers are going to find out why so we can "come up with better ways to treat them."

Far be it for me to question the need for more research into children's health. I've spent the better part of the past 20 years supporting research and community programs directed at improving health for children, the elderly and other groups, and I'd like to think that some of it has been useful and actually improved health.

Still, I recall the late historian Christopher Lasch's observation that "social science merely confirms what common sense already tells us." And I think, whatever happened to common sense?

Here are a few things that seem obvious to me. Tell me if I'm hallucinating:

We've created a culture of consumption. Consume, consume, consume. More and more of everything. Children aren't stupid. They are bombarded with these messages. They are programmed to "live large" like the rest of us.

We've created a culture of deficits. Children are born imperfect. They have deficits, they need treatment. Entire industries are created to fill these holes. Tell a child she's not smart enough, is too fat, doesn't eat the right foods nor get enough exercise, and pretty soon she loses sight of her strengths and ability to make good choices.

We've created a culture of narcissism. Children know instinctively when someone genuinely loves and cares about them. Good intentions aside, too many adults are wrapped up in their own glorious selves to connect deeply with those who depend on them for their sustenance and growth.

We're created a culture of false accountability. If children aren't growing up healthy, it must be someone's fault: parents who are poor role models, teachers who can't teach, businesses that sell junk food, legislators who starve public programs, mass media that promote instant gratification and poor values - and by god, we're going to hold them accountable with more laws, mandates, rules and tests. But who exactly is 'we'? Health researchers, foundation officials and other "enlightened" people? Certainly we can't be held accountable for these disturbing trends.

We've created a culture of unrealistic expectations. No longer is it enough just to be good - we all have to be great. No longer must we resign ourselves to personal, social and economic imperfection - science, technology and social engineering (unleashed in "free" markets of relentless competition) will usher in a world of continued progress, growth and individual happiness. Imagine you're a child. Do you think you might be set up for failure?

We've created a culture of isolation. This is where we circle back to the children with cell phones. In a public place, they are isolated in private and personal communication. Step into an elevator, a restaurant, a city street or some other public place, and everywhere it's the same. We're all talking, but not to each other. When public space collapses into private space, improvements in community and public health are harder to achieve.

A bit of a rant, this. On a different occasion, I could put a more positive spin on the state of modern culture and children's health. Certainly there is much that is right with the world, and few of us could get up and moving in the morning without our dreams, goals and something to look forward to. As someone who is congenitally inclined towards melancholy, I have always taken special care to reinforce a message of strength and optimism with my own children, and today they are caring and productive young adults. Thank God - and my wife - for that.

We'll see whether yet another large scale study will make an appreciable difference in our ability to improve children's health. In the meantime, we must continue to work together to create a common, public culture of strength, cooperation, compassion and hope. For starters, we could leave the cell phones turned off when we're together.

Feedback? Send it my way: .

*The Drift reflects the views of the author, and does not represent the official view of SLHI's Board of Trustee and staff.