THE PRICE OF PRIVILEGE. HarperCollins Publishers, 2006.
Madeline LEVINE, Ph. D., has been a practicing clinical psychologist in Marin County for the past twenty-five yeas. A frequent lecturer on child ad adolescent issues, she is the author of viewing Violence and see no evil : a guide to protecting our children from Media Violence.
This book highlights a major problem of mental health among preteens and teens from affluent, well educated families in America. Epidemic rates of depression, substance abuse, anxiety disorder higher than any other socioeconomic group of young people in this country, have been found in numerous studies.
The culture of affluence characterized by materialism, pressure to achieve, perfectionism and disconnection has been influencing the development of the self ; while, many privileged kids project confidence and know how to make a good impression, alarming numbers lack the basic foundation of psychological development : an authentic sense of self.