Comments | lillibet: Self-Esteem in High Places

lillibet

Self-Esteem in High Places

Feb 27, 2007 09:24

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?

news

Comments 11

androidqueen February 27 2007, 15:49:07 UTC

[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 February 27 2007, 17:05:12 UTC

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.

androidqueen February 27 2007, 17:47:27 UTC

i definitely feel like i meet a lot of young people who have a strong sense of entitlement, but i think that's a different thing than narcissism, though the article seems to conflate the two. thanks for helping me figure out my thoughts! :)

i mean, it's one thing to think "i am so great!" and quite another to think "the world should give me everything i want."

Lake Wobegon, where all the children are above average ayelle February 27 2007, 18:26:16 UTC

Oh, that is an important distinction, thanks. I found myself wanting to agree with the article, and yet I know there's a good chance that I'd answer questions like "I think I am a special person" with a "yes," too, and I don't know that that makes me narcissitic ( ... )

Re: Lake Wobegon, where all the children are above average urban_faerie_ February 28 2007, 00:26:49 UTC

Ha! As a teacher I can see similarities between your school and some of the schools I work in ( ... )

marmota February 27 2007, 18:56:29 UTC

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 February 27 2007, 20:35:05 UTC

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 February 27 2007, 22:10:43 UTC

"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.

urban_faerie_ February 27 2007, 23:59:24 UTC

You always bring up the most interesting things ( ... )

jelazakazone February 28 2007, 03:25:50 UTC

This makes me feel very good about the parenting/lifestyle choices we have made (no tv, limited toys (in fact, every day I feel my kids need fewer toys), limited number of activities, limited computer time, but lots of time to play, read, notice what is going on in the world, interact with family and friends, create things ( ... )

tangential ramble (a little off topic) ayelle February 28 2007, 04:04:09 UTC

> One day I saw a teenager walking down the street with his Ipod in one ear and his cell phone up to his other ear.To be fair, when my phone rings while I'm listening to my iPod, I take the earbud out of one ear but leave it in the other with the sound paused. Could he have been doing that, or did you actually hear the pod playing music? (If so, that is so weird! I don't know how people can multitask auditory information that way. I can listen and drive, or listen and walk and explore, but I can't listen to more than one thing at once ( ... )