Same. I guess I'm still technically a millennial - I was born in '87 and the cut-off is usually people born in '84 or later - but even when I was younger I don't remember things being this bad. The school I went to gave out participation ribbons for track and field, but I usually placed in the top 3 and got a ribbon for that, so it didn't matter. I remember when I was around 8 or 9 I had come home from track and field day, beaming because I had won 4 ribbons - 3 for placing in different events, and the 1 participation ribbon. My mom said, "you didn't really win the purple one, you know. They give those to everybody. But great job for winning the others." It's still burned into my memory, that's how much of an impact it had on me. My parents insisted on excellence, not mediocrity.  Back then even in elementary school you would be flunked if you weren't doing well academically, and then you'd be sent to summer school. Kids were held back a grade if they did a piss poor job at summer school too. I don't know if it was just the school I went to or how my parents raised me, but I'm pretty sure they didn't get heavy into the whole "everyone is special" thing until several years later. Now between overinflating these kids' self-esteem at school and shitty parenting at home, these kids never learned that they can't just get what they want because they want it, and they don't deserve the same reward as someone who works harder than them. PS. Here's an interesting article from Macleans about the subject, it's worth the read Edit: Added the last sentence