Infantilized
Are we conditioned to behave like children?
In the late 1990’s or early 2000’s, I saw a Bill Moyers interview on PBS in which the guest spoke about the infantilization of America. The concept was very interesting, and it has stayed with me over the years. It does seem as if much of our society is geared to encouraging adults to behave as children. I didn’t find a video of the episode or discover the name of Moyers’ guest. However, the online search came back with unexpected information.
There is a chapter entitled The Infantilization of America in a book by A. A. Roback published in 1939, The Psychology of Common Sense: A Diagnosis of Modern Philistinism. A quote from the APA PsycNet abstract explains:
“For some years, on the basis of sociological observations, the author has come to the belief that the majority of the inhabitants of the United States were becoming more like children, or better, that the barrier between child and adult was breaking down and both ages were being reduced to the same level.”
In 1939, someone was observing and commenting on this behavior. And this is way before TV and the Internet and graphic novels. There were comic strips and comic books in this time that were geared to children, and adults did read the comics in the newspaper. However, I would be hard pressed to think of my grandparents lining up to see a movie about Superman or Thor.
Considering the development of popular films, it’s clear that much has been added to engage adults as children. One of my loveliest memories is a Fourth of July weekend when I went to see the first Star Wars movie with my parents. My mother particularly was thrilled by the story and the action. It was really fun. She had, of course, seen Errol Flynn swashbuckling on pirate ships in earlier movies, but the new technology of Lucas’ film engaged viewers at a different level.
An online article, The Infantilization of Western Culture by a professor of sociology published 2018 provided a number of examples of how we are being infantilized. He mentions being sold toilet paper by a family of cartoon bears and writes of “Las Vegas-style Disneyfication” of casinos designed as childhood fantasies being applied in planned communities and architecture.
The article is worth the read. The examples encompass many aspects of our lives. It puts forth that “adults’ failure to reach emotional, social or cognitive maturity is not due to individual shortcomings. Rather, it is socially engineered.” Probably engineered to get people to spend more money – like the silly wand I bought at Universal Studios’ Harry Potter world. It is much easier to control people who are habituated to follow rules or moved to action by simple, repetitive messages.
I see ways in which I engage in behaviors and activities that are better suited to a child or teen than a mature and discerning adult. I use food from my childhood as a reward or comfort to an unhealthy degree. We are told: “You deserve it; go ahead, splurge. It will make you feel so much better.” This encouragement to excess is also seen in video streaming and alcohol consumption, particularly promoting and legitimizing ridiculous flavors and concoctions. Adult discernment would disagree with these excesses.
More and more, I sit in the place of feeling like a grown-up who does not enjoy superficiality. To me, an excellent example of adult childishness and forced frivolity are present-day wedding and baby showers. I say clearly that I hate them and avoid them at all costs. I am very happy to help a young couple and growing family acquire the items they need to make a home and happy baby but these women - and men - have gone nuts with the games they impose on guests, the silliness of their behaviors, and often extravagant gift registries.
Other online articles mention the adulation and slavish commitment to sports teams and watching game after game after game on media. It smacks of children watching other children play instead of being active and alive on their own. Another article noted adults taking over the market for Young Adult books, such as Harry Potter, The Hunger Games and Twilight. Are we craving simpler times and a group of friends we can trust and enjoy? Are we seeking the relationships depicted in the books and the sense of accomplishment in a team win?
To be clear, behaving like a child is not the same as understanding with childlike wonder or being young at heart or having the capacity to live fully and vibrantly. At every age, we want the energy of life to flow freely through our body and being. We want to welcome change and the challenges inherent in change. We want to be active with our arms stretched to the sky. At each age, our approach, experience and wisdom may differ but the vitality of life can be strong.
When I look at the ways in which I behave as a child, I think of all the times I have written here of power – our individual and collective power. Children tend to have less power than adults. If we choose to behave and believe as children, are we giving our power over to others and entities whom we consider to be ‘the grown-ups’? What of our connection to Something Greater than Ourselves?
Over 30 years ago, I read a statement: “God always enters into equal partnerships.” I believe deeply in the accuracy of this statement. Thus, I must consider why I continue to make childish choices when I am now a mature adult seeking to engage as fully as I am able in this partnership – to do what it is mine to do. It is actually quite exciting to realize there is so much more I can do; that we all can do at every age of our lives, particularly if we integrate all we have learned.
Time to grow up and do what is ours to do Connected to Something Greater.
