The infantalisation of a generation – Prof Frank Furedi on safety culture and the cultural devaluation of freedom

When the emergence of Covid-19 and resultant restrictive measures were imposed across the globe in early 2020, the world witnessed submission of an unprecedented and surprising nature. One motivator, fear, is fairly obvious and understandable but it in no way explains the collective psychology in play. BizNews spoke to Professor Frank Furedi, Emeritus Professor of Sociology and the author of several books covering the cultures of fear and safety which have insinuated themselves into practically all corners of society. Furedi highlighted a particularly interesting side-effect of the pandemic: the downgrading of human capacity and simultaneous inflation of threat. Another fascinating observation explored was the way in which the fundamental subject matter that children are taught has shifted from the virtues of courage and morality to psychological values such as self-esteem. This shift, together with the growing undercurrent of safety culture, is a breeding ground for an infantalised, anxious future population. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices