Today's college students are more narcissistic and self-centered than their predecessors and that the trend could be harmful to personal relationships and American society. This story has been spreading like wild fire. Kids are on Myspace. Kids use YouTube. The Time Man of the Year is 'You' (the individual). If we don't like our teachers, we can blog. If we don't like our jobs, we can blog. If we don't like our lives, the people around us, the world around us, we can blog. We supposedly have coddled these kids. We told them they are special. We have made them narcissistic. And now we are to believe that all of this is going to break down their ability to be social? To live and work together? Tear the very fabric of social order? It's a phase, folks. The kids are fine. It is just another generational thing. Let me remind you what a few past generations lived through, what they were labeled and how they drove 'the adults' a little crazy. Peace, Love, Dope (Hippies..free love) Ban the Bomb (Anti-nuclear proliferation) Hell No! We won't go! (Anti-war activists) Turn on, Tune in, Drop out (Anti-society's rules) Don't trust anyone over 30 (Anti-parents and the establishment) Keep on Truckin' (Stay in tune, but mellow) I'm OK, You're OK (Self-help is OK) Followed by... The ME generation Greed is good/Think Rich Generation X Generation Y This generation has taken the swing to being self-centered and being reported by the people, industries and media that they have affected the most. This generation is killing newspapers. This generation gets its news from the Internet, friends or alternative sources. This generation is sharing music instead of buying music. This generation is watching less network TV. This generation is playing video games more and interested in participating in sports less. This generation's top TV show is a national karaoke contest. This generation has accepted that reality TV shows are real entertainment. This generation has a voice. Their own. This generation does not mail letters. This generation is connected. (Cell phones, Internet, emails) We have put these kids through our own divorces, sex after Aids, the acceptance of special interest groups. We tell them the national debt is yours, war on terror will last past your generation and that when you retire there will be no social security or gold at the end of the rainbow. And that is why they have tuned us out. Just like the kid who is planted in front of his video game and called to dinner, we have to face the fact, we have been told "Whatever!" by the generation we created.
