I must say I don't find the article surprising either, self entitlement and narcissistic personalities have been a growing part of our degrading society for quite sometime.
When researching "Narcissism" a while back, I came across this article which addresses Gene Y... It's quite interesting as well.
Narcissistic and Entitled to Everything! Does Gen Y Have Too Much Self-Esteem?
No one walks the way I walk.
No one talks the way I talk.
No one plays the way I play.
No one says the things I say.
I am special.
I am me.
Gen Y â people born between 1978 and 1997 â grew up singing that nursery song. Today many parents and psychologists wonder if songs like that were not big mistakes.
In the 1980s world of child rearing, the catchword was âself-esteem.â Unconditional love and being valued âjust because youâre you!â was the prevailing philosophy. In practice, it involved constantly praising children, not criticizing them under any circumstances, emphasizing feelings, and not recognizing one childâs achievements as superior to anotherâs. At the end of a season, every player âwonâ a trophy. Instead of just one âstudent of the month,â schools named dozens. Teachers inflated grades from kindergarten through college: âCâ became the new âF.â No one ever had to repeat a grade because staying behind caused poor self-esteem.
The result of these child-rearing practices has been a measurable increase in narcissism and a generation that has a deeply embedded sense of entitlement, according to authorities like Dr. Jean Twenge, author of Generation Me: Why Todayâs Young Americans are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled and More Miserable Than Ever. Dr. Twenge of San Diego State University studied more than 16,400 students who took the Narcissistic Personality Inventory between 1982 and 2006. In 1982, only a third of the students scored above average on the test. Today that number is over 65%.
The new trend toward self-centeredness and self-love might be bad for society. Dr. Twenge warns that narcissists lack empathy, overreact to criticism, and favor themselves over others. They are incapable of cheering anyone elseâs success. Ultimately, they led miserable lives because they cannot form and maintain healthy relationships.
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, corporations like Lands End and Bank of America are hiring âpraise teamsâ to keep up with Gen Yâs demand for constant positive reinforcement. Other generations believed that as long as no one fired them, their work must be okay. Gen Y needs constant praise in the form of emails, awards, celebration balloons and other such tangible recognition of their work or they become anxious.
The constant stream of praise has resulted in what psychologist Dr. Linda Sapadin calls âa runaway inflation of speech.â No girl is pretty: sheâs drop dead gorgeous. That guy is a genius (not merely bright). Dr. Sapadin says the word âniceâ is a put-down.
Gen Yâs need for affirmations often accompanies an intense sense of entitlement. A therapist with the Aspen Education Group describes it as âI want it now! Now! I have to have it right now!â A Gen Y with a sense of entitlement will also refuse to take responsibility when he makes a mistake. For example, if he gets a speeding ticket, he expects his parents to pay for the ticket and increased insurance premiums and to keep on driving as if nothing happened.
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