As these young people struggle through a week without beds, showers, or designer shoes, they
do begin to appreciate what they have at home and understand the importance of having a strong work ethic. But, like its parent series, the show still manages to take things to extremes. Rather than having their spoiled kids volunteer for one of the many less-exotic, underserved communities in
this country, the parents send their progeny to international locations that most people only dream about visiting. Meanwhile, the various communities that the kids live in -- as well as the jobs they're asked to do -- are often presented as primitive, which reinforces stereotypes about these countries and their people.
On the positive side, these clueless young people do seem to develop some sort of self-awareness after their week in "exile." Some even get embarrassed about their excessive materialism and how they live at home. It's hard to tell whether these revelations lead to life-long transformations, but at least these teens will be able to look back at their experience and remember that there are people out there who aren't as privileged as they are. And those are great lessons for them to learn -- but you can't help but wonder whether their parents will ever catch on that these are the kinds of things they should be teaching their kids at home.