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A recent New York Times article discussed research that has become quite the topic of conversation among psychologists in recent years: narcissism among young adults.
Apparently, our generation is all about the “I Love Me.”
According to the people behind the research, today’s 18-25 year olds are more narcissistic than any previous generation: “Today’s young people — schooled in the church of self-esteem, vying for spots on reality television, promoting themselves on YouTube — are more narcissistic than their predecessors.”
I find this completely unfair. Just because I can’t walk by a mirror without looking at my reflection does not make me a narcissist. Just because I look at myself first…and last…every time I look at a picture does not make me a narcissist. And just because I think I am hilarious and talented and write a blog that I expect everyone to adore doesn’t make me a narcissist.
Ok. Maybe I do think about myself quite a bit.
But it’s not my fault that I was raised in a generation in which parents told children they could do anything, be anything, and they should never doubt themselves. We have been told our whole lives that anything is attainable and, more recently, that nothing is sexier on a woman than confidence. How, then, can I now be blamed for being confident?
Sure, our generation seems more into ourselves than ever before, but that is from an older (and outsider) perspective. Previous generations weren’t given the same tools as us. We can’t be blamed for growing up in a time when outlets (MySpace, Facebook, blogging…) were created specifically for us to talk about ourselves.
Plus, the people conducting this research didn’t have to deal with the amount of competition we face daily. With so many people vying for the same schools, jobs and clubs, we have to be confident and focused on ourselves in order to succeed.
So, if our generation seems a little more obsessed with the “Me” than those before us, it is not our fault. And it’s not necessarily such a bad thing. A little self-love never hurt anybody. And, in such a cut-throat culture, if we don’t love ourselves who will love us?
5 Comments
i’Abbos.I from Uzbekistan
um, do you know the DEFINITION of narcissism, honey? your “just because i…doesn’t mean i’m a narcissist” argument is laughably inaccurate.
you’re so in love with yourself you can’t even accept the ‘flaw’ of your own narcissism. and all this talk of it being “unfair” and “not your fault”…… either grow up or seek therapy.
hahaha hilarious and well written article
i love and adore you.
kdero needs to grow some balls and get a sense of humor.
It IS your fault, Lauren.
It’s your fault because you know it’s a problem but you don’t want to — or don’t know how to — deal with it. So is it apathy or ignorance? Given the lack of insight your “article” provides, I’d be inclined to believe it’s the latter. Who created Myspace and Facebook? People of the current generation, yes? Now, if critics bring up Myspace and Facebook as examples of a generation obsessed with itself, and you so kindly argue, “Hey, look at the tools we’re given”, wouldn’t you say you’re making their point for them?
And where exactly does confidence come in from being preoccupied with yourself? How does that leap happen? How was that conclusion drawn? But speaking of confidence; having met and worked with people of all currently living generations, the confidence expressed by the current generation, by and large, is the least warranted. I’ve never seen a larger group of people who have felt so entitled and confident and yet were so incapable of doing anything effectively or competently (e.g. this “article”).
Cool that you can poke fun at yourself. You are RIGHT ON THE MONEY! I am from that generation that encouraged you to “do anything, be anything”, so it is rather ironic that we look at the now generation and talk smack about them. Hey, teenagers and young adults have ALWAYS been narcissistic, so for any generation to criticize any other generation of being moreso is totally absurd. Besides, I’m still narcissistic, its just that at my age nobody cares anymore…lol.
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