How far do you agree that parents and schools are doing little to develop independence in young people? Are the future generations becoming less independent? Independence is cultivated through attempting to face hardship by oneself, before simply turning to other resources for assistance. With today’s parents increasingly coddling their children and schools mainly prioritising academic achievements over inculcating such values in their students, it is no wonder that this concern has been raised. It is my belief that parents’ and schools’ efforts in developing independence in young people have been largely insufficient. To preface, parents’ and schools’ attempts to develop independence in adolescents do not go unnoticed. Schools mandate students to engage in various projects by themselves, with little to no help from teachers. For example, compulsory Student Initiated Learning (SIL) projects require students to plan an activity or skill they would like to learn, then execute it themselves. Parents, too, are often seen encouraging independence in their younger children by convincing them to purchase items without assistance. Ideally, such methods would inspire young people to be self-reliant and work through the adversities they face independently. In reality, a myriad of students neglect their SIL projects and simply throw together a half-hearted slideshow at the last minute. Children can also easily return to being babied by their parents after accomplishing the task at hand. Ultimately, parents’ and schools’ efforts to develop independence in young people, though evident, are oftentimes inadequate and ineffective. In addition, the concept of “helicopter parenting” is becoming increasingly widespread today. Many parents grow overprotective of their children, thus hindering their personal growth. As an illustration, many parents now micromanage their child’s education. Fearing that their child will fall behind in today’s fast-paced and competitive society, parents may send their children for extra tuition classes before even assessing if their child is able to handle the curriculum independently. Though well-intentioned, such actions unconsciously teach their children that help will always be available, solicited or not. This may inadvertently cause children to develop the mentality that they are not required to face challenges on their own, as assistance is perceived as inexhaustible and readily available. Furthermore, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to complete assignments is ubiquitous among young people today. In schools especially, students can be seen typing questions into ChatGPT on their Personal Learning Devices and shamelessly copy-and-pasting the AI’s response into their own documents. This eliminates the need for students to exhibit critical thinking skills and work through problems on their own. They have relinquished the opportunity to think independently, and consequently, may find it increasingly difficult to do so in examinations when they are deprived of AI. Though this issue is pervasive in schools, little is being done to mitigate it. While the problem is multifaceted and difficult to resolve completely, small steps such as encouraging written assignments when possible, or educating students on responsible AI usage, could still be taken. In conclusion, parents and schools have not only been doing too little to develop independence in young people, but have also exacerbated the issue and allowed it to prevail. It is imperative that independence is inculcated in youths to ensure that future generations remain resilient and capable. Therefore, greater efforts should be made to give adolescents the opportunities and space in which independence flourishes.