There’s been a lot of talk around the Internet lately about participation trophies. Some people believe that they're damaging my generation, and that they’re making us unambitious and narcissistic by making us think we are all winners regardless of skill.

Last year, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison returned his sons' football camp participation trophies, saying, "While I am very proud of my boys for everything they do and will encourage them till the day I die, these trophies will be given back until they EARN a real trophy."

And then there are some who believe participation trophies are a good thing because a little positive reinforcement can't hurt, right?

But here's another idea: What if participation trophies are neither positive nor negative? What if they don’t matter either way?

I received a handful of participation trophies as a child. Some were for playing on a neighborhood soccer league and others were for performing in a piano recital. The trophies weren't much—gold-painted plastic models of a girl kicking a soccer ball or plastic busts of composers Bach and Beethoven.

Whether I received a trophy at the end of an activity depended on who my soccer coach had been that season (because some coaches handed out trophies and some simply didn't), or whether my piano teacher had taken the time to order a bulk shipment. Sometimes it happened, and sometimes it didn't.

The awards were an afterthought, and whenever we didn't receive them at the end of a soccer season or piano recital, no one batted an eyelash. Not one child broke down screaming, demanding an award for their participation. Everyone knew they didn't carry a whole lot of significance.

Here's the thing about participation trophies: Kids know when they are not the best on the team or the most talented musician. I accepted the trophies, but distinctly remember experiencing absolutely no ego boost as a result of receiving them. I was not the best soccer player on my team or the best piano player in the room, and I knew it. I was proud of myself for committing to something and following through with it, and that was reward enough.

When kids see everyone around them receiving a trophy, they know it doesn't hold much value. Saying that kids participate solely for a trophy is akin to saying that the only reason people vote is to receive an "I Voted Today" sticker afterward.

I can confidently say that I was not affected in the slightest by receiving participation trophies. They did not change who I am in any way. They left me with no negative repercussions, and I never felt entitled to some sort of "award" for the activities I pursued in later years. When I achieve something significant, I don’t look for someone to hand me a trophy then either. After all, it's the experience we earn, not the trophy.

As a society, we are putting too much weight on the significance of participation trophies. I don't know if giving kids participation awards is beneficial, but I can say from personal experience that it is definitely not detrimental. Perhaps participation trophies don't make a difference one way or another.