The Unfair Safety Net for Success
Rinzen Widjaja, a writer in Australia, wonders if for the children of the wealthiest Americans, it is almost too hard to fail.
If the 1950s quiz show scandals taught us anything, it is that the "winners" of these rigged spectacles were—ironically—already knowledgeable and astute. Each had been thoroughly vetted and tested on their comprehension across a wide range of topics. Many of these winners—among them former child prodigies and university instructors—could have advanced quite far on their own, though reaching the top would have been debatable. Cheating in such cases was less about lacking the answers and more about eliminating any chance of failure. With a safety net in place for each subsequent question, there was no room for mistakes—no suspense or second-guessing.
While testimony before the United States Congress resolved the quiz show scandals (and amended the Communications Act of 1934), similar critiques of favoritism in corporate jobs and elite college admissions suggest a comparable reckoning may be near.
Like the pre-selected winners on 1950s quiz shows, wealthy families have relied on what can be considered crutches to help get their children into college and the job market. These crutches are measures that ensure rejection never touches their children, even if they are skilled and credentialed. For entry into the most prestigious colleges, well-padded transcripts and intelligence alone are not enough. As college admissions involve qualitative factors—not to mention an element of luck—these crutches prove useful. Positions in high finance and government have become more coveted by recent graduates, with degree inflation driving this trend as more master's degrees are awarded.
Timeless reading in a fleeting world.
