AIM #1 JFM 2017 | Page 6

Issue 1 Explore JFM 2017
And more pasta sauce options, as many as there are in the supermarket these days does not translate in customer satisfaction.
We say, children are grumpy today NOT despite but BECAUSE OF too much choice. picture for representation purpose only
More choice does not mean better life.
Then and Now
If your are a 60s, 70s or 80s child in Asia, you can probably visualise what life with limited choices could be like.
Fewer toys, no gadgets, no multifunctional phone per person in the family, limited number of shows for children on TV, rare and far away amusement parks, fewer malls and restaurants.
‘ We had such limited choice as a child, yet we never complained. We accepted the reality and stayed happy with what we got. Today, our children have so much, things we could not even imagine. Yet they are bored most of the time and complaining. What is with this generation of‘ smart’ kids? They are grumpy despite so much choice.’
A couple quipped at a seminar and the question resonated with a large number in the audience.
Yes they have access to more. And have much more than their parents had as children. But,
More TV channels do not give more entertainment.
More toys do not lead to more play.
More food does not give more nutrition.
And, more classes or tuitions does not mean more education.
In fact many psychologists believe that more choices lead to more stress, fatigue and regret.
Our children are growing up with what psychologists call choice overload.
While on one hand, choice offers them the freedom to choose and the access to the best and widest options to choose from, on the other, they have to deal with‘ choosing’- finding their way through multiple choices- daily, several times a day.

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