Modern Kids Don't Smile When They Visit Santa

[trof]

Santa Researcher Makes List, Checks It Twice
by Alice Shirrell Kaswell, AIR staff

December 8, 2003.

Kids these days don't smile when they visit Santa Claus, according to research just performed by a noted business school professor. Professor John W. Trinkaus, of the Zicklin School of Business, in New York City, observed children at two large shopping malls and a major department store, noting each child's facial expression as the children visited Santa Claus. Every child was accompanied by a parent or guardian.

DETAILS OF PROFESSOR TRINKAUS'S SANTA RESEARCH
The observations were made at two large shopping malls near New York City. Each mall had its own Santa Claus. This research took place in early December, 2003.

At each mall, the observer (Professor Trinkaus) stood near Santa and observed 150 children. Thus, he observed a total of 300 children in shopping malls. He later (see below) observed an additional group of children in a department store in New York City.

Each child's expressions were rated on the following scale:
EXHILARATED
HAPPY
INDIFFERENT
HESITANT
SADDENED
TERRIFIED

The results of observations at the two shopping malls:

.......................1st Mall visit.......2nd Mall visit.........TOTAL
Exhilarated.............0..........................1...................... 1 (00%)
Happy....................1..........................1.......................2 (01%)
Indifferent...........121......................126...................247 (82%)
Hesitant................27........................20.....................47 (16%)
Saddened...............0..........................0.......................0 (00%)
Terrified..................1..........................2.......................3 (01%)
.........................-----.....................-----.................-----
...........................150......................150...................300

DISCUSSION BY PROFESSOR TRINKAUS
The results might suggest a "hardening" of society, even down to the level of kids. It might suggest a loss of "innocence" -- that kids are growing up too fast, that "childhood" is vanishing, that the culture is changing and that pragmatism is what counts.

http://www.improbable.com/news/2003/dec/santa.html

[lcordero]

1. loss of "innocence"?

hardly
I find that they aren't as distrustful of people that they don't know as they should be.

[Maeve]

2. The kids aren't there to visit Santa

They are there to get their pictures taken visiting Santa. Big difference from the "Christmas Story" days (and my own, later, childhood).

[KensPen]

3. yes

and those kids didn't seem very pleased either......

It is a wierd test, cause it's one sided,
what was used to optain the smile percentages from prior generations?

[SheilaT]

4. I also want to know where the study is

from some earlier year showing the kid smiled more.

And this is exactly the kind of thing, trying to quantify what's essentially unquantifiable, in my opinion, that makes this sort of research open to ridicule.

Very young children have almost always found Santa to be scary in person. I've never understood a parent who thinks a photo of their terrified kid sitting on a stranger's lap is cute. Some places have policies that don't allow a crying or obviously frightened kid to be forced to sit with or on Santa.

[demnan]

5. Just goes to show that young kids have good sense

They know full well Santa does not exist and they are pissed at their parents for making them go through this ridiculous and humiliating experience.