Exploring the Impact of Social Media and Parents on Young People’s Character and Virtues

Abstract

An abundance of theoretical and empirical work has documented how character and virtues, as well as positive relationships and institutions, are intrinsically linked to well-being and individual and collective flourishing. Evidence of this can be seen in the work of (positive) psychologists, philosophers and educationalists alike. Importantly, however, alongside this academic interest a groundswell of public interest in character and virtues has been generated in recent years. In the UK context, terms such as ‘resilience’, ‘grit’, ‘gratitude’ and ‘honesty’ have appeared in various media outlets, and the desire to cultivate good character in young people has led to ‘Character Education’ becoming part of the political agenda. Educational resources and curricula that aim to promote reflection and development of key virtues are being rolled out in schools, with demand for such resources continuing to rise. Two questions are frequently raised in response to such initiatives: (1) how is the success of such character education programmes impacted by outside influences, especially conflicting value messages, and (2) how can we measure character and virtues and demonstrate the efficacy of educational interventions.