The slide show that ends the 5th grade graduation ceremony at our school is a tear-jerker for most parents in the audience. Hell, this is our second time around and the slide show of each soon-to-be middle schooler set to Imagine Dragons “On Top of the World” almost had me misty, too.
Your school, I would expect, does a similar presentation – one that features each kid holding a poster documenting their lives’ ambition. Most of these graduates’ career objectives were predictable – a doctor, a lawyer, a nurse and several professional athletes mixed in.
To my surprise, though, there were no future teachers – an occupation that, I thought, our children hold in high esteem.
Unexpectedly present in the slide show was a career I hadn’t considered before – at least a half dozen 5th graders aspired to be YouTubers.
Hmm.
I immediately resisted the old man urge to shake my fist at these know-it-all whippersnappers who’d rather record themselves playing video games than help others. But, before I go completely old-school, let’s examine how kids think about careers before declaring my son’s graduating class to be aimlessly, lost souls.
My own 5th grade graduate, Lynden, who’s poster proclaimed his career goals as becoming a “Premier League Soccer Player”, told me that most kids would select “what they want to be when they grow up” based on the following:
- What they like to do.
- What they assume makes them rich and/or famous.
- What their parents do.
Under the first two bullets, it is easy to see why YouTubers have crept into the career landscape for our children. Maybe this is the equivalent of my aspiration to have Tom Hank’s job in the movie “BIG” as a youngster – what kid wouldn’t love to play with toys all day!
Could kids aiming to be YouTube stars actually be positive?
The career begins with having fun with friends – that’s good.
I assume YouTube stars make lucrative livings – check.
YouTubers live a free-wheeling life that, I believe, future leaders will covet.
But, I’m not so sure.
YouTube, at least in our home, is synonymous with video gaming, playing with slime and/or recording yourself doing something outrageous (or stupid). I get the appeal to kids but, I must say, I’d prefer my kids look elsewhere for a paycheck.
So, while I’ll stop short of saying that a 5th graduation video of kids choosing to be YouTubers is a sign of the doom all of us parents are in for, the observation does give me a glimpse of our children’s mindset about how they might spend their lives.
First, the sphere of influence around our kids is expansive – far bigger than anything I experienced growing up. Kids aren’t looking to their parents to provide a blueprint for success, they are looking for us to provide access to their passions. An aspiring pediatrician doesn’t want their parents to tell them to study hard and earn A’s, they want us to ask Dr. Rob down the street if they can job-shadow him over the summer.
Next, our children see themselves as the star of their own show – pinning their career ambitions to areas with the highest perceived social notoriety. Whether it be a pro athlete or member of the military, kids gravitate toward professionals that receive frequent appreciation – pats on the back that can come from millions of subscribers on YouTube or expressions of gratitude from a patient their lab’s research might have saved.
And, as I come to understand why a career recording yourself is an attractive alternative for kids, I can also surmise why none of them want to be teachers. Educators are universally underpaid and overworked – it seems that fact isn’t lost on our little ones. Additionally, there isn’t much fun to be had during the school day as each minute is planned to further stretch a testing-based curriculum.
Am I reading too much into these harmless posters or is the future generation destined for disappointment? Maybe.
After all, the future, I think, will continue to need less lauded but as righteous professions like teachers, accountants, flight attendants and contractors. There is a place for sanitation workers, mechanics and farmers.
To me, the lesson is for parents and kids as they think about the future is simple – Plan A should focus on current passions while Plan B should involve practicality. Maybe I should butt out of any Plan A for now – even if that career goal is as far-fetched as being a YouTube star or professional soccer player.
Instead, I’ll spend time planting the seeds of a solid Plan B – in fact, multiple backup plans and the valuable qualities that involve no Likes, Comments, Shares, or Retweets.
No, I did not shed a tear at Lynden’s elementary school graduation, but it is okay if you do. Yes, feel free to cry when your graduate pops onto the big screen with their sign proclaiming to be the next Jake Paul.
Weep, not for the “bruh” he wishes to become, but for his stoic stare when you explain that a more pragmatic, Plan B could be as virtuous and likely.
