It was only a matter of time before we discovered how to tell if young children had the genetic potential to become world class athletes. The article linked below describes a genetic test that supposedly can determine whether a young child has the inborn ability to be good at particular sports or none at all. Some people think it's great, while others think we humans are messing technologically in areas in which we don't understand the consequences to children and to society.
Check it out at
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/sports/30genetics.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=born%20to%20run%20little%20ones%20get%20test%20for%20sports%20gene&st=cse
and then consider answering one or more of the following questions:
Do you believe the test really determines a child's potential in sports? Why or why not?
Do you think it's a good or bad idea for parents to have their children tested in this way? Why or why not?
Do you think developments in genetic research like this one have the potential to be more beneficial or more damaging to our society? Explain your answer.
12 comments:
This research isnt going to be such a big deal either way. Kids want to be what ever they make themselves as. This research can only help realize their genes as being great in athletics. If a child wants to be a great athlete it will take their determination in doing so.
I really really dislike this idea. I strongly agree with Dylan. This is almost like telling you when you're going to die! People shouldn't be told what they are going to do in life, or what kind of sports that they are going to play, it's just not right.
You grow up having dreams of being a professional athlete and then have it all come crashing down to the ground because of a genetic test?!?
But on the other hand it could be good. If a child finds out that they "aren't going to become a professional athlete" it will make them push themselves harder to achieve that goal of becoming a pro athlete.
So there are 2 sides to the argument.
...but there are always 2 sides to it in Mrs. Stotler's class!
Andrew
I can see the dangers in this testing that some parents would take it to an extreme and if their children decided they wanted to play a sport opposite of what they were supposed to be good at, the parents may discourage them from doing so. It is kind of scary to think that we would want to start our kids out on a path just because they were supposed to be good at it. I agree that it sounds kind of like Hitler. The whole idea is just a little bit scary to me. Also I think it is a good experience for kids to try any sport they want. My parents have always had the philosophy of - never be afraid to try something new, you never know what you might end up loving.
However, not all parents would go to an extreme level if their child had this test; and it might be fun to find out, if you had the extra money to pay for it. However, I also do not think that a whole lot of reliability should be placed on this test because it is still in its early stages, so there has to be a lot of kinks that need worked out.
I don't see much harm in this testing at all. Although I don't believe anything is impossible, I do think that there are genetic advantages in sports. I'll reference a great quote I once heard: "In football, God is prejudice toward big, fast people." Don't get me wrong, I do believe anyone can work at something hard enough to become great, but it wouldn't be harmful to know what a person might be good at, if one is unwilling to do such a substantial amount of work. (In my mind, though, I'd rather work hard for something and be able to take pride in it, than just have something come to me easily.) This technology is quite intriguing to me. I'll begin to worry when we get to that of trying to achieve Hitler's "Aryan" race.
I think that the testing isn't a bad thing, it's how far the parents are going to push the child. I think that it would be great for a child to select what they want to participate in, but if they are pushed in a different direction when they are young they may grow up to like that particular sport. I also guess it is a matter of us keeping up with the rest of the world when it comes to olympic athletes. If other coutries are doing this, should we also?
At this point I dont think the tests would be very accurate, so honestly I don't know why it would be very beneficial to pay that much money. When the testing gets to a point where it is reliable, I would actually consider doing it. I think it would be interesting to see where my strong athletic points are, but I wouldn't take the results to an extreme. I don't think there would be any harm in testing your kids, just as long as you let THEM decide what sports they wanted to play. I believe it's important to ENCOURAGE your children to take part in sports, but I don't believe it is right to FORCE them. If I was taking this test I would end up participating in what sports I loved playing, not just what sports I would likely be best at. I don't think a test like this could really harm society, as long as we don't take it too seriously...but right now it isn't very accurate so I wouldn't worry about it.
I kinda agee with Omerzo on this one. There s a good and a bad to this. It allows people to realize how athletic they would be but we don't know how accurate it is. In today's age of sports size, and speed play a huge factor. Though i think anyone can have the oppurtunity to do whatever they want you just have to work hard. Then, the bad, you have parents that are going to want to know and when they find out what there kid will be good at. They will make there kid play that sport and not even give there kid a chance to play other sports.
To some families this new type of research might just be a miracle! There are cases all over the worlof parents pushing their knids to be amazing athletes, and this test can actually prove it. Still,it should always be the childs choice regardless of the parents wishes. To me this research has a lot of pros and cons to it , but it just depends on how you see it. To me i agree with it; this type of testing is enevitable with the new technology we have today! Asa nation I thinkwe have to deal with the possibilities of these new advancments. It5 may give the child topush themselves to become great if they do have this gene,or push them to be intellectually advanced if they don'thave it. In the end, there are always to sides to a story,it just depends on which side gets the most attention in this case.
I dislike this idea because if the parents find out the child would be good at a certain sport they might make the child focus on the sport and maybe the kid doesnt even like that sport and they wouldnt get to play any other sports. I think that the kid should get to pick which ever sport the want to play and let them play as many as the want. if this was me i wouldnt like it because if it was a sport i didnt like i wouldnt try as much.
I would say it is a bad thing to do because once the parents get the test done and they found out that their child is going to be good at running. Then, the parents are going to push them into running in stead of what the child wants to do. Maybe the doesn't like to running. If the pearnt push them to do it then they won't do it unless they want to.
People need to stop making genetics such a big deal for sports, becuase you are born they way nature intended you to be. Nature is the fortune to whether you are fit for such activities or not...so why not leave it that way. I think it is discriminating to use the human genes to try and master a symbolic "super-human" for such things as sports. If they want to properly use genes for something useful use it for such things as tryin to increase metabolism, cure diabetes from a generations' gene strands, something that will be helpful for the evolution to the era at which we are at. Genetics do not decide the life style which you will live, your love and passion will do that for you.
I don't see anything wrong in this testing, it allows kids to see what their strong points are in sports to pursue what sport they can become good at. But there is also some of the parents that will go all out and force their kid to play the sport if they know he has talent to play it. Although this testing may not even be that accurate, the best way for parents is to make their kids talented through hard work and dedication. Children minds change so much and they will eventually play which ever sport they want to.
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