A middle school student's cell phone goes off in the middle of English class…and the student answers it.
A college student demands an 'A' from his professor because he faithfully shows up to class every week (but has never turned in any work).
A fresh-out-of-college graduate bodily brings her mother into a job interview as her "professional reference."
These scenarios may sound a bit silly, but as educators and employers can tell you, these are actual occurences that are becoming more and more common as Generation Y (a.k.a. the "Millenials") hits college and the workforce.
In her 2006 book,
"Generation Me," Dr. Jean Twenge discusses the rise of Generation Me (Generations X and Y) and the possible repercussions of the way in which they have been educated and raised.
In her new book,
“The Narcisssim Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement,” Dr. Jean Twenge and co-author Dr. W. Keith Campbell effectively collect and synthesis the data, examples, and alarming educational and cultural trends leading to what they call the “naricissism epidemic.” Narcissism, a "very postive and inflated view of self" as defined by the authors, has infiltrated our culture to the point that 25% of college students agree with diagnostic statements on a psychological survey used to determine Narcissism Personality Disorder. The authors further argue that our culture, our education system, our parenting styles, and even our churches are serving to create a generation that does not function well in culture, politics, relationships, or commerce. Our emphasis is all wrong, they argue; educators and parents should be focusing on developing real life skills (empathy, social awareness, self-discipline, etc.) rather than making our children feel special no matter what they do (or do not do).
Although nothing in this book should come as too much of a surprise (i.e. media is “bad”), the authors have carefully exposed and excavated some of the more disturbing “truths” our students are picking up from both school educators and the media; the authors mix anecdotes (both are college professors) and analysis with hard evidence to make their case. The last chapter of the book touches on, but does not satisfactorily go into detail, ways we can combat this epidemic of self-centeredness. It would be an interesting exercise for the authors to take the last chapter of their book and expand it into a full-length guide for parents and educators coping with these issues.
Minor flaws aside, I believe that “The Narcissism Epidemic” should be required reading for educators, parents, and even students. Our students are losing ground academically and socially due to our emphasis on unchecked self-centeredness (i.e. an 'A' for effort) rather than actual skills (i.e. an ‘A’ for accurate and effective work), and we will not be able to compete on the world stage for much longer if we do not "check" this epidemic before it destroys our childrens' futures.
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Rebecca Eagleson is an Examiner from San Jose. You can see Rebecca's articles on
Rebecca's Home Page. 
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