In today’s society it has become a given that children are granted with participation trophies in their activities. A trophy is supposed to mean more than participation. A trophy is supposed to be a symbol for success and pride. A trophy should be given only when a goal has been reached through hard work and determination.

Giving children trophies for participating, implements the idea that they do not need to work hard in order to succeed. A generation of trophy giving has led to a generation of young people, whom on the majority are used to getting exactly what they want. Leading to a box of shiny participation trophies spilling off the desks of entitled millennials.

Trophy giving is not a subject to be taken lightly, as instilling in an entire generation that they will always be a winner gives them an unrealistic view of the world as they enter adulthood. Giving trophies on a whim takes away a person’s want of success, and ultimately robs them of a potential future that could have been reached from hard work.