Declining birthrates and the nuclearization of the family, coupled with parental overprotection and addiction to digital devices, are making it harder for modern children to adapt to community life. This has led to an increase in the need for special education and the importance of education that fosters social skills and independence.
With declining birth rates and the nuclear family, 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, children were raised in large families, and interacting with siblings was a natural way to socialize. Now, most families have only one or two children, and this often means that all of the parents’ 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 TV. 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 can’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.
The first group of children who are overly dependent on their parents, 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 to help them with anything they need. 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 the over-education zeal 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 something happened to her that was unfavorable to her, and the next day her mom would call or come to the school to criticize her teacher or her friends. The child did well in school, but her friendships were poor, and she had no decision-making power because she was just 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 a lack of 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 phones instead of talking to their 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, but TV and smartphones are one-sided and can be enjoyed without 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. In her opinion, the scope of special education should be broader in the future, and it should be developed to meet the specific needs of different children. In addition, I would like to see special education to be seen as a way to help people with different needs, and special education to be seen as a way to help people with special needs. In addition, in order for society to develop into a culture that accepts and respects these different needs, it is necessary to change perceptions in general, not just in special education. This will ultimately contribute to creating a healthy society where everyone can coexist.
