The fallacy here is that without parental direction, the child will figure things out for himself. We won't even get into the question of whether this will include considering the long range consequences, moral implications or effect on others. Miss Manners thinks not. Someone else is going to teach them how to behave if their parents don't. The general training is done by their peers, of course.
Television does what it can, but there is nothing like direct instruction.
And so on. This training continues right through adulthood, for example when parents refrain from imparting their experience on ceremonial and social events to allow their children to plan their own weddings unassisted. Replacement assistance arrives in the form of salespeople who impersonate impartial experts and teach that their goods are not only useful or attractive but also required for the sake of propriety. These are the default teachers of etiquette when parents don't do the job. News Jobs AP Shopping Archives Entertain.