The millennials are sure taking a beating these days. Here's another article decrying their narcissism, this one in Psychiatric Times. From "Twitter and YouTube: Unexpected Consequences of the Self-Esteem Movement?":
While the self-esteem movement has been largely debunked, we are just now reaping what it has sown. The generation raised under these conditions is entering the workforce and has been described as difficult and that their expectations far exceed those of their predecessors in entry level positions. The praise they have been given all of their lives is still expected, even if they have not done anything to earn it and they lack the resiliency to deal with real disappointment and the realities of life.
It should come as no surprise, then, that survivors of this largely failed social experiment have turned to other outlets to seek the praise to which they have grown so accustomed. Their choices, however, may not be improving their lot. By investing in virtual relationships in cyberspace rather than in the real world, they may be continuing a vicious cycle of empty praise, disingenuousness, and superficiality. The computer screen lacks the nuances of interpersonal interaction but may lead to a false belief that the
human needs for love, friendship, and intimacy have been met. Even the meaning of friendship has dramatically changed in the digital age. The number of people that you can count as friends on these sites contributes to individual status and engenders a sense of importance. Relationships are not valued for their own sake but, rather, in bulk. Friends are “collected” and displayed on web pages for all the world to see and admire.
I decided I wanted to see the Narcissistic Personality Inventory mentioned in the article. It was easy to find online. Take the Inventory here. Looks like many of the people I most admire would, by this assessment, be considered narcissists in their authority, self-sufficiency, and superiority scores.
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