by Sean Curtis

Created on: February 19, 2008

Some people today seem motivated by all the wrong things. To them, money trumps everything else (except maybe fame, as long as it comes with the money). Fashion magazines glorify issues like anorexia, almost making it trendy to have a severe disorder. Paparazzi prey on weak-minded celebutantes and flood our TVs with images of their breakdowns.

Values in this country are disappearing. (And I'm not talking about religious values. That's works for some, but not for all of us.) It's no wonder people are becoming so shallow. There are a number of reasons for this trend. Here are a few thoughts on the matter.

PARENTS AREN'T TEACHING ANY MORE. Parents don't seem as concerned today with instilling the values that were instilled in them. At the top of the list, I'd say, is work ethic and social skills. Both seem to be lost on the internet generation. Kids barely go outside and interact with each other anymore. They sit in front of computers or game consoles and waste time. What shocks me is that parents are ok with this. They actually encourage it by constantly buying the newest stuff for their kids. There is certainly nothing wrong with taking a break now and then, but it should be a reward to be earned. Not just expected.

Here's another example of parents instilling the wrong message. I have a friend who baby sits for a couple. The husband works. The wife is becoming at "actress" (having found her passion at the young age of 30-something). On top of the live-in nanny, my friend watches the two adorable kids while mom gets her nails done, and has dinner with friends, and naps. That's right: naps. Instead of raising her kids she's paying some else to do it while she sleeps. What kind of signal does this send to her children? How can they possibly learn right for wrong or a strong work ethic in this environment? It's sad, and I fear it's more common that we probably think.

SOCIETY AND THE MEDIA FEED OFF EACH OTHER. Wanna-be-celebrities like Paris Hilton and Brittany Spears are terrible icons for our children. We as a society spend way too much time obsessing over what they are doing. Some want to see their downfall, which is almost as bad as aspiring to be like them. Either way, they don't deserve the daily attention they receive. The problem is, we keep watching. Our kids watch us watching and think that's ok. Kids who want more attention from their parents will realize that these "celebrities" somehow hold their parents' attention. Guess what that means? Those kids will

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