What if I said, "When you finish reading this, I'll let you go to the prize box (right over there in the corner) and pick out a fine piece of pink plastic jewelry or a delicious Dum Dum lollipop." Not interested? What about a gift certificate to Tiffany's or your favorite bakery? That doesn't do it for you? Hmm..... Maybe you want approval.... Okay, I'll draw you a smiley face or an "A" with a plus sign next to it. Better yet, I'll tell everyone that you are, "one smart cookie. "
It's a lot to think about. While you were grappling with all of those rewards, you likely forgot what or why you were reading in the first place. Or, maybe you didn't care about my deal and you clicked to another site. Maybe my reward insulted you, and you appropriately likened me to a dog trainer.
But what if instead of prizes, I told you that reading, learning, experiencing and working hard will teach you things about yourself and the world you never imagined; that you'll find peace, excitement or the solution to that problem? What if I told you, all of these will give greater meaning to your life?
Despite plenty of research (and common sense) that says rewards decreases an interest in learning, schools and extracurricular organizations give candy and small toys routinely. Many will argue this is necessary for "today's children," as if our youngest generation defies human nature. Schools say parents want the rewards. Parents look to teachers as experts in how to educate. In the meantime, marketers are selling everyone on the belief that today's youth require more and more.
Aside from the impact of schooling children in hyper-consumption, there's the loss of human potential. We' re diminishing the truly good stuff - the intrinsic values of responsibility, hard work, curiosity, love of learning and self worth. What would our world be like if all the greats were devalued as children and repeatedly sent to the prize box?