Child Spa By Paul Rudnick

In the Modern Era, the youth should be focused in the idea of technology and innovation being a crucial ideology being incorporated into the life of the young, but a recent trend of children being enticed to feel young and pampered from spas that have specialized in creating specific spas and programs for young children to partake in. At this current time, the society should be against child spas because they distracts children from what a youth should really be preparing for and the cost could go towards better options, such as, education and future college planning. In addition, this idea is being expressed in the article “Child Spa” by Paul Rudnick which is stating the public’s obsession with appearing young being a leading cause to this
problem. Furthermore, Rudnick criticizes that children are being targeted for spa parties in order for the youth to maintain a social trend and maintain a sense of youthfulness. As this new trend for children being engaged in spas appears in society today, the youth of this nation are being taught on being pampered instead being able to partake into the future and the road ahead.
The children of this generation have become preoccupied with being in spas and being pampered instead of thinking of the future of college and career. To understand this issue Rudnick states,“That’s why, every chance I get, I hit Little Miss Lovely, our local child spa. I’ve decided that, this year, I’m finally going to get in shape…I got a little jealous because Skyler’s parents just bought her Riley, the latest American Girl doll. Riley is from the nineteen-nineties, back when little girls wanted graduate degrees and career”(Rudnick). Rudnick explains that the generation of kids today are worried about being pampered in spas as well as being fit and looking young; however, he uses an example of a popular doll based from the nineteen-nineties where the children of that generation cared about getting into college and careers. In addition, the previous ideology is to have the children be successful in life, but this idea is made difficult for the youth because of the
trend of acting young and visiting spas. Now the real question comes in to play where do you want your child to be successful or be caught up in trend that are limiting the true potential of the children. Furthermore, the youth is being pampered resulting in an extended state of youthfulness and not continuing on in life what matters. This ideology is exemplified when Rudnick states, “‘Last week, he sold a series to Amazon about this pack of six-year-olds who just hang out and play video games and refuse to grow up,”(Rudnick). Instead of the youth worrying about future, they are interested in being young which is a direct correlation to the spa industry which is pushing for the idea of being young. The idea of children paying for these types of services is ridiculous due to the fact that they have been brainwashed with these types of ideologies that they learned about from sources including television and social media. In addition, the idea of children paying for spa services seems unacceptable due to the tremendous cost that is associated with the spa parties which could be spent towards better options; such as, career planning and future college planning.
This idea is expressed when Rudnick cites an article from The Times which states,“The spa industry has begun to target children in a big way. . . . “I feel like the best princess in the world,” said Paige, who celebrated her seventh birthday at Sweet and Sassy, a national chain of spas that boasts that its cosmetologists are specially trained to work with children”. In this quotation, The Times wants the reader to understand that these national chains of spas are targeting our children with the idea of having a spa party which entitles them to charge a high cost to the parents which the parents fulfill in order to satisfy their child. On average, the cost of a spa party at Sweet and Sassy is ranging from $300 to $700 per party which is proliferating each year that a party is kept there. If a party of this caliber is held at one of these child spas every year until the child is age twelve since they were five year olds, the cost could accumulate to an amount ranging from $2400 to $5600. This is money could go towards a future investment in their child’s future where they can help pay for a semester of college or help them establish themselves as adults. Furthermore, the cost of this trend might transfer over to other items that are
also marketed by the people of the spa industry. This situation is presented when Rudnick states, “Skyler and I were both wearing outfits from Shar’s new line of workout gear, called Child Support,”(Rudnick). The spa industry has started creating fitness clothing that entices the audiences’ youth because a sense of jealousy arises when one of the item is in one possession while the other doesn't posses one leading to the adults to buy it for them. With cost of these trend being established by the spa industry, the amount of money keep piling up until the end. In conclusion, the idea of having children paying for such services; such as, child spas is ridiculous. The society should to be against child spas since they occupy kids from what an adolescent should be getting ready for in life and the cost could go towards better choices, for example, education and future school arranging. Now the real question, is what is your side on the idea of children going to child spas.