No Beach Blanket Bingo Here
Dr. Suniya S. Luthar, a professor of psychology at Teachers College at Columbia University, coordinated a recent study that looked at the overscheduling of affluent children and teenagers. The research showed that the adolescents listed "fun" as their primary reason for engaging in so many activities, followed by the sense that it was "good for their future" and finally, because "adults want me to."
Dr. Suniya S. Luthar, a professor of psychology at Teachers College at Columbia University, coordinated a recent study that looked at the overscheduling of affluent children and teenagers. The research showed that the adolescents listed "fun" as their primary reason for engaging in so many activities, followed by the sense that it was "good for their future" and finally, because "adults want me to."
Luthar noted the number of hours of activities had very little to do with feelings of stress or depression or anxiety.
"Maybe we're putting too much emphasis on the number of activities per se," she said. ''Being in activities can make you feel efficacious, connected, useful. It can almost be a cathartic release for creative talent."
This article, written by Alex Williams, appeared in the June 7th, 2006 publication of The New York Times.Published Thursday, Jun. 8, 2006