Self-Esteem in High Places

[lillibet]

Here's the LA Times article that caught my eye this morning that suggests we may have done too good a job encouraging self-esteem in our children, to the point that narcissism is possibly a problem among college-aged youth.

Thoughts?

Comments

[marmota.livejournal.com]

Considering the surveys apparently were only of people who could afford to be in college, I'd say it was self-selecting for a certain degree of entitlement attitude from the very beginning.

[androidqueen.livejournal.com]

that seems to be a bit of a stretch. i would be surprised if they didn't make at least some attempt to get students from a number of different backgrounds, and there are lots of kids who work to put themselves through college or at least get a fair bit of financial aid.

[marmota.livejournal.com]

"She and four other researchers from the University of Michigan, University of Georgia and University of South Alabama looked at the results of psychological surveys taken by more than 16,000 college students across the country over more than 25 years."

It looks to me like it was just people in college.

From my own experience, I'd say that even working through and using financial aid, just coming from a background with expectations of college is a different world.