When we are kids, we are careless, happy-go-lucky and innocent. We spend our days without worry, living in a Hakuna-Matata way. By the time we reach middle school or high school, we are then bombarded by the fact that the world will soon cave in on us and become a horrible place unlike the place we’ve lived until then. The constant reminder that “the real world isn’t fair,” and that “you don’t get participation awards once you leave high school” prepares us to face this awful world we will soon inherit. It shouldn’t be surprising, then, that when we reach this age, we ourselves render this unfair and unjust image of the world.

With every single generation that passes, we as a society, as a race, have the opportunity to break the cycle and encourage children to try to make a world that more accurately represents what they have known and seen so far in their lives. And so far, with every generation, we have chosen not to do that, opting instead to continually gear the children of the world to perpetuate the worst aspects of our world and create an unfair and unjust society. If we tell people that the “real world” is a tough, scary place, what kind of “real world” do you think they will create?

The argument that participation awards should be eliminated to stop leading kids to think that the world is similarly kind and caring is a completely paradoxical and nonsensical one, as it should be obvious that this will only create a harsher and less kind and caring reality. I do not argue that anything and everything should be handed to kids and adults alike, but right now, we are doing about the opposite, maintaining a cruel and unforgiving society for our children to inherit.

We are all taught these mindsets by parents and teachers from a very young age; the fact that the world is an unfair and cruel place is ingrained in our heads before we are even allowed to think differently. Even worse, those who don’t accept this image of the world and want to change and improve it are deemed unrealistic and naïve. The participation awards we receive in school and in AYSO at a young age are reminders that you don’t have to be the best at something sometimes. It is an unconditional recognition for your efforts that shows children their inherent worth. If these are removed, so maybe is this confidence and self-worth and value that these awards instill in us. The less we appreciate each other, the less chance we have of improving this world, and judging from the fact that almost everyone says we need to prepare kids for how awful the world is, I assume most people believe that our world could use some improving. So for the next generation, or the one after that, I hope that we can stop poisoning children’s minds with the constant reminder of the cruel world, and instead try to urge them to make a positive difference in the world.