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

[androidqueen.livejournal.com]

[n.b. i'm not actually sure what gen i fit into.]

i'd be curious to read the actual study, but honestly, this sounds kind of like crap. i mean "most students didn't want to take my survey because they're too self-absorbed"? does she have *any* idea how many people have spammed the average student looking for them to fill out a survey? it's practically like telemarketing!

for as long as i can remember (granted, not *that* long), american society at large has required one to promote oneself to get ahead professionally. it's certainly become easier with the explosion of the internet, but it's nothing new. people who are seen and who are confident are generally more successful.

also, i'm pretty dismayed by the author's choice of language. it's anything but neutral.

[dancenerd.livejournal.com]

I was a TA for a guy who had just moved to CA from Ohio, and he was firmly of the opinion that many of the California college students he was encountering were indeed narcissistic and had extremely well developed senses of entitlement. He saw this as regional rather than generational, however.

One other thought - insecurity can make one self-absorbed and if not narcissistic, then solipsistic.

[lara68.livejournal.com]

My first thought is that people seem to enjoy wondering what's wrong with the kids today. They seem to like to think that the world is going to hell in a handbasket.

I roll my eyes at them.

I'm not saying the world *isn't* going to hell in a handbasket, but it certainly seems to be taking its time getting there.

[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.

[http://users.livejournal.com/urban_faerie_/]

You always bring up the most interesting things.

In my opinion, I don't think it is the push for higher self-esteem that has turned young people to self-centered human beings. Feeling strong and capable is not what causes people to be selfish, in fact I think a lack of it of those feelings is more to blame. When we don't feel good about ourselves as people we obsess about the little things, our material posessions and our appearances, because those are things we feel we can control.

Why do I think young people are more self-centered than ever before? I think the permissive parenting, celebrity worship, and materialisim in today's world is more to blame. Kids today have more expect more, and don't work as hard to get it. We also live in a world where technology allows us to have everything our own way (there's a reason why they call it the "i" pod instead of the "we" pod) and allows us to shut out anyobdy who has different needs or a different point of view. Kids don't have to learn how they get along now that they have their own cell phone, ipod, computers and video games, they can just shut others out.

I also think the MySpace and Live Journal culture where everyone blogs about their personal lives and posts pictures and movies gives people an inflated sense of importance, as if we are all interesting enough to have our lives followed by the web. When we think we have an audience following our every move we are going to put more effort into mangaing our online and Rl personas. For chrissakes, Time Magazine made ther person of the year last year YOU as in me, and YOU and EVERYBODY. Kids are already painfully self aware in the first place, send them that kind of message and DUH...they are gonna obsess about themselves!

In schools I see a lot of kids with terrible social skills who can't even make conversation, let alone initiate a friendship. I don't think being the I generation is making kids truly feel any better on themselves, self-centeredness is just a new face on the same old teen awkwardness and angst.