Re: When did spanking start to fall out of fashion? -- Childhood Spanking Memories

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Subject: Re: When did spanking start to fall out of fashion?

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Date Posted: 15:06:24 10/09/25 Thu
In reply to: Cynthia 's message, "Re: When did spanking start to fall out of fashion?" on 17:36:30 12/01/24 Sun

>
>I know part of the shift from me and my brother to our
>much younger sister was she had nicer things than we
>ever did because our parents were in a better
>financial place. I never had any toy I particularly
>cared if my parents confiscated, and grounding was a
>no go because I'd have made my mom feel like she was
>in prison with me. My sister breaking rules might
>have gotten her backside lit up, but it just as easily
>could have gotten her stereo or video games taken.

Old thread, but I am resurrecting it because Cynthia (not sure if she posts here anymore) makes a salient point. Spanking tracks very closely to socioeconomic class - always did. Poorer, less educated parents are far more likely to spank their children than wealthier, more educated ones.

Sociologists have long suspected the reason for this is not just because of the pressure that education brings to use less brutal methods, but also because wealthier people have more options for disciplining their kids. They can take away the phone, the video game, the car, etc. The result is that the more "stuff" kids have, and the more educated their parents are, the less likely the kids are to be spanked.

Why I think we have seen a sharp decline in spanking since the 1980s though, is in part due to the way that technology has become ever-more-accessible. Any new technology tends to begin its life cycle as a plaything of the wealthy, for people who can afford something new and expensive that they clearly don't need. This has been true forever: telephones, radios, televisions, color televisions, video tape players/recorders, etc., etc., etc., all start off very, very expensive, until they decline in price as they are adopted more and more widely, until they pass a certain tippping point, at which the bottom falls completely out. in 1964, a 19 inch color television would have run you about $800 in 1964 money; that's over $8,000 in today's money. Today, you could buy a 70" flat screen TV - for every room of your house - for that price, with change left over for a couple of entry level smart phones.

What this means is just about anybody can afford things that were once only for the wealthy, which means kids - everywhere - have smart phones at 12, 11, 10... and less. Can you imagine, those of us who grew up before 2005 or so, a parent handing us something as wondrous as a smart phone to a 9 year old kid? It would have been unthinkable - that's expensive! That's delicate! It's not a toy! Etc. etc. etc.

Now, that's all they are. And it is easy to take them away from kids if they misbehave, and they dread, fear, and loathe that probably as much or more as we did spanking.

This is all to say that I think it is highly likely that the rise of technology has contributed significantly to a significant simultaneous decline in spanking. Kids get past the toy stage much quicker now, and are on to electronics - video games, cell phones, computers, and the like. Even before the rise of cell phones and social media, video games were coming to dominate the "toy" market, and taking away screen time was already becoming probably the most popular punishment in any home. And while once a nice video game system would have been strictly a plaything for an upper middle class or above household, phones and video games are essentially universal, as likely to be found in the poorest homes as the richest. Bizarrely, it may in fact be becoming the case that these types of devices are becoming MORE likely to be found in the hands of poorer children than richer ones, as they are cheap and plentiful, and poor parents usually have to spend more time working and have more kids and are grateful for anything to distract those children and keep them occupied. It is wealthy, educated parents who are starting to lead the counter-charge against technology in the hands of every child. they have the time (because they have the money) to spend with their children entertaining them in ways that replace those electronic devices. Richer and more well-to-do parents whose kids go to fancy schools no longer see these devices as status symbols, because they aren't: just about everybody and anybody has a smart phone, a smart TV, a smart this and a smart that.

You could therefore say that technology and its widespread penetration at affordable prices has made physical discipline obsolete. And while 24/7 access to social media and the internet and AI and all of these things are a decidedly mixed blessing, this might actually be its best legacy, and the single best thing to recommend them: they are probably at least indirectly responsible for there being fewer physically abused kids in the world.

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Replies:

Subject Author Date

Re: When did spanking start to fall out of fashion? Cynthia for forum moderator 18:30:56 10/15/25 Wed

Re: When did spanking start to fall out of fashion? Sonya to Forum Moderator 19:45:10 10/15/25 Wed

Re: When did spanking start to fall out of fashion? -- Forum Moderator, 11:04:23 10/18/25 Sat

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>> >>I know part of the shift from me and my brother to our >>much younger sister was she had nicer things than we >>ever did because our parents were in a better >>financial place. I never had any toy I particularly >>cared if my parents confiscated, and grounding was a >>no go because I'd have made my mom feel like she was >>in prison with me. My sister breaking rules might >>have gotten her backside lit up, but it just as easily >>could have gotten her stereo or video games taken. > >Old thread, but I am resurrecting it because Cynthia >(not sure if she posts here anymore) makes a salient >point. Spanking tracks very closely to socioeconomic >class - always did. Poorer, less educated parents are >far more likely to spank their children than >wealthier, more educated ones. > >Sociologists have long suspected the reason for this >is not just because of the pressure that education >brings to use less brutal methods, but also because >wealthier people have more options for disciplining >their kids. They can take away the phone, the video >game, the car, etc. The result is that the more >"stuff" kids have, and the more educated their parents >are, the less likely the kids are to be spanked. > >Why I think we have seen a sharp decline in spanking >since the 1980s though, is in part due to the way that >technology has become ever-more-accessible. Any new >technology tends to begin its life cycle as a >plaything of the wealthy, for people who can afford >something new and expensive that they clearly don't >need. This has been true forever: telephones, radios, >televisions, color televisions, video tape >players/recorders, etc., etc., etc., all start off >very, very expensive, until they decline in price as >they are adopted more and more widely, until they pass >a certain tippping point, at which the bottom falls >completely out. in 1964, a 19 inch color television >would have run you about $800 in 1964 money; that's >over $8,000 in today's money. Today, you could buy a >70" flat screen TV - for every room of your house - >for that price, with change left over for a couple of >entry level smart phones. > >What this means is just about <i>anybody</i> can >afford things that were once only for the wealthy, >which means kids - everywhere - have smart phones at >12, 11, 10... and less. Can you imagine, those of us >who grew up before 2005 or so, a parent handing us >something as wondrous as a smart phone to a 9 year old >kid? It would have been unthinkable - that's >expensive! That's delicate! It's not a toy! Etc. >etc. etc. > >Now, that's all they are. And it is easy to take them >away from kids if they misbehave, and they dread, >fear, and loathe that probably as much or more as we >did spanking. > >This is all to say that I think it is <i>highly</i> >likely that the rise of technology has contributed >significantly to a significant simultaneous decline in >spanking. Kids get past the toy stage much quicker >now, and are on to electronics - video games, cell >phones, computers, and the like. Even before the rise >of cell phones and social media, video games were >coming to dominate the "toy" market, and taking away >screen time was already becoming probably the most >popular punishment in any home. And while once a nice >video game system would have been strictly a plaything >for an upper middle class or above household, phones >and video games are essentially universal, as likely >to be found in the poorest homes as the richest. >Bizarrely, it may in fact be becoming the case that >these types of devices are becoming MORE likely to be >found in the hands of poorer children than richer >ones, as they are cheap and plentiful, and poor >parents usually have to spend more time working and >have more kids and are grateful for anything to >distract those children and keep them occupied. It is >wealthy, educated parents who are starting to lead the >counter-charge against technology in the hands of >every child. they have the time (because they have >the money) to spend with their children entertaining >them in ways that replace those electronic devices. >Richer and more well-to-do parents whose kids go to >fancy schools no longer see these devices as status >symbols, because they aren't: just about everybody and >anybody has a smart phone, a smart TV, a smart this >and a smart that. > >You could therefore say that technology and its >widespread penetration at affordable prices has made >physical discipline obsolete. And while 24/7 access >to social media and the internet and AI and all of >these things are a decidedly mixed blessing, this >might actually be its best legacy, and the single best >thing to recommend them: they are probably at least >indirectly responsible for there being fewer >physically abused kids in the world.

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