We are raising a generation of deluded narcissists

[Future]

I have to tread a line here, because of the whole political aspect this edges on, but there's a reason a great number of college students involved themselves with that Occupy business. On both sides of that coin stand the two faces of generational decline.

There's no political line to cross there. While at its heart the Occupy movement might have been worthwhile, what it turned into was a bunch of kids whining about how they can't find a high level job in a major city right out of college. Most of them Tweeted and Instagrammed from iPhones, a product made by a company who contributes to the exact problem they stood against, and others were there simply because they were unwilling to relocate for jobs.

Part of the problem is that we are conditioned to think that a college education lands us a great job. In today's job market, that's not the case. People still need to start small and work their way up, no matter what their education...value to a company has to be proven, and great jobs are not just handed out. That is the main thing that many members of the Occupy movement have no grasp of.

 

[vta]

There's no political line to cross there. While at its heart the Occupy movement might have been worthwhile, what it turned into was a bunch of kids whining about how they can't find a high level job in a major city right out of college. Most of them Tweeted and Instagrammed from iPhones, a product made by a company who contributes to the exact problem they stood against, and others were there simply because they were unwilling to relocate for jobs.

Part of the problem is that we are conditioned to think that a college education lands us a great job. In today's job market, that's not the case. People still need to start small and work their way up, no matter what their education...value to a company has to be proven, and great jobs are not just handed out. That is the main thing that many members of the Occupy movement have no grasp of.

I agree with you. Many think college is the accomplishment and the reward should follow. I just figured the mentioning of 'Occupy' would bring about the connection.

 

[Future]

I disagree, those who show the confidence and drive at work and interviews, genuinely have it I believe. I think the narcissism is coming fom the "everyone gets a trophy" mentality, and actually discussed it the other day with a teacher who coached baseball and explained the difficulty of cutting kids when they've been on little league all star teams, meanwhile every kid makes the team.

I don't really disagree with that. The problem, I think, is that that gets hammered home so often that lots of kids have a certain hollow confidence, which comes ends up turning into egotism.

 

[Illini88228]

Then it's the old people's fault.

I'm always amazed when these inter-generational bashing things come out that commentator's always ignore their own generation's role. "Kids today" are the product of their parent's choices. If my generation is really the worst in American history. It really means your generation are the worst parents in American history.

I didn't decide that it wasn't okay to be outside without supervision. You chose to be afraid of every shadow. I didn't decide that every injury warranted a trip to the emergency room, you decided that I was "sensitive." To blame a person for their parents is stupid. That holds true whether it's one kid or a generation of kids. Maybe if you had taken the time to understand the technology you were creating and exposing your kids to, you wouldn't be stuck now trying to explain in retrospect what went wrong.

The fact of the matter is older generation's selfish short-sightedness has left my generation with the biggest mess to clean up since the Great Depression. You spent money you didn't have. You let infrastructure and schools collapse. And, you surrendered the responsibility of raising your kids to gadgets and social institutions which you decided had to coddle us.

So, honestly, I couldn't care less if you think I'm narcissistic. From what I can tell, your generation drove the world into the ditch. Sorry if I don't want your help backing out.

 

[Rackat]

Then it's the old people's fault.

I'm always amazed when these inter-generational bashing things come out that commentator's always ignore their own generation's role. "Kids today" are the product of their parent's choices. If my generation is really the worst in American history. It really means your generation are the worst parents in American history.

I didn't decide that it wasn't okay to be outside without supervision. You chose to be afraid of every shadow. I didn't decide that every injury warranted a trip to the emergency room, you decided that I was "sensitive." To blame a person for their parents is stupid. That holds true whether it's one kid or a generation of kids. Maybe if you had taken the time to understand the technology you were creating and exposing your kids to, you wouldn't be stuck now trying to explain in retrospect what went wrong.

The fact of the matter is older generation's selfish short-sightedness has left my generation with the biggest mess to clean up since the Great Depression. You spent money you didn't have. You let infrastructure and schools collapse. And, you surrendered the responsibility of raising your kids to gadgets and social institutions which you decided had to coddle us.

So, honestly, I couldn't care less if you think I'm narcissistic. From what I can tell, your generation drove the world into the ditch. Sorry if I don't want your help backing out.

I love this reply. The problem with a forum of this nature is that no one knows for certain what age anyone else may be. I felt the same way about my parents...who happened to be raised in the 50's and 60's. They screwed it up enough that we needed to clean up their mess. But being a product of their upbringing, we were instilled with some of the flower power bullarkey that they were exposed to and subsequently passed it on to our kids.

I think each generation has had a negative and positive effect on the following generation. The difficulty is in deciding what is better, a Dr. Spock upbringing, or an upbringing somewhere between the old man getting a switch and all the kids getting a trophy.

 

[TheCount]

:laugh2: I didn't even notice your sig until after I wrote this out...

Speaking of sports, I think when a person gets paid multiplied millions of dollars to run with a ball, then has the gall to liken it to modern day slavery, you can pretty much bet the bank that there's been a monumental generational shift.

Oh really? Are you suggesting that previous generations of athletes have not said and done stupid things? That's rich.

You take one quote and that quote defines an entire generation. Where's my Staple's Easy Button when I need it?

A generation of sissy have been created. Don't keep score in sporting events, everyone gets an award and we are all special.

Biggest benefit a person can learn from is failure it is what drives you to work harder and become better be it in sports, work or life.

Yup, bunch of sissies out there.

Not really. There's a reason our country is tanking in more ways than one.

Are you blaming 18 year old college freshmen for a collapsing, indebted economy?

That's a completely reasonable conclusion.


This thread is high hilarity. Especially since the accusers aren't even pragmatic about their conclusions.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Then it's the old people's fault.

I'm always amazed when these inter-generational bashing things come out that commentator's always ignore their own generation's role. "Kids today" are the product of their parent's choices. If my generation is really the worst in American history. It really means your generation are the worst parents in American history.

I didn't decide that it wasn't okay to be outside without supervision. You chose to be afraid of every shadow. I didn't decide that every injury warranted a trip to the emergency room, you decided that I was "sensitive." To blame a person for their parents is stupid. That holds true whether it's one kid or a generation of kids. Maybe if you had taken the time to understand the technology you were creating and exposing your kids to, you wouldn't be stuck now trying to explain in retrospect what went wrong.

The fact of the matter is older generation's selfish short-sightedness has left my generation with the biggest mess to clean up since the Great Depression. You spent money you didn't have. You let infrastructure and schools collapse. And, you surrendered the responsibility of raising your kids to gadgets and social institutions which you decided had to coddle us.

So, honestly, I couldn't care less if you think I'm narcissistic. From what I can tell, your generation drove the world into the ditch. Sorry if I don't want your help backing out.

Well at least you didn't take this thread personally... :laugh2:

I'd love to ask you to explain some of these claims, but meh.

 

[Doomsday101]

Oh really? Are you suggesting that previous generations of athletes have not said and done stupid things? That's rich.

You take one quote and that quote defines an entire generation. Where's my Staple's Easy Button when I need it?

Yup, bunch of sissies out there.



Are you blaming 18 year old college freshmen for a collapsing, indebted economy?

That's a completely reasonable conclusion.


This thread is high hilarity. Especially since the accusers aren't even pragmatic about their conclusions.

what do the image have to do with it? Yes mental sissy who have been babied every step of the way.

 

[TheCount]

what do the image have to do with it? Yes mental sissy who have been babied every step of the way.

lol, that's cute. You are calling digital photos of trained fighters names from your computer chair.

I'm just wondering who you're claiming to be sissies, 8 year olds? I'm also wondering what generation you're from where they taught you it was cool to call people sissies.

 

[Illini88228]

Well at least you didn't take this thread personally... :laugh2:

I'd love to ask you to explain some of these claims, but meh.

Just because I used second person, doesn't mean I took it personally. People are just ridiculous when they talk about generations in general. I get sick of hearing all this "worst generation ever" nonsense when the evidence used to back up that claim is almost always something about the way we were raised.

Newsflash, no one decides how they are going to be raised, that's their parents job. If my generation is really such a disaster, it just means that my parent's generation were disastrous parents.

 

[Doomsday101]

lol, that's cute. You are calling digital photos of trained fighters names from your computer chair.

Their physcial ablity has nothing to do with anything. I have not said they are weak physically but mentally yes. People can't even talk these days without someone getting offended we live in a PC world with thin skin people who have been babied.

People act as if they are owed something in this life your not, you want go earn it if you can't earn it on your own too damn bad

 

[TheCount]

There physcial ablity has nothing to do with anything. I have not said they are weak physically but mentally yes. People can't even talk these days without someone getting offended we live in a PC world with thin skin people who have been babied.

People act as if they are owed something in this life your not you want go earn it if you can't earn it on your own too damn bad

Have you ever gotten in a ring with another man and fought him? If you think there's no mental fortitude involved, you're daft.

And again, who are you talking about? Are you actually suggesting that until this generation you could say whatever you wanted to someone and they'd never take offense?

Why were Aaron Burr and Alex Hamilton dueling at each other in the 1800's? What's up with the Hatfield's and the McCoys? :laugh2:

"People act like", means nothing. "People acted like" all sorts of things over the existence of humanity, that is not generational.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Just because I used second person, doesn't mean I took it personally. People are just ridiculous when they talk about generations in general. I get sick of hearing all this "worst generation ever" nonsense when the evidence used to back up that claim is almost always something about the way we were raised.

Newsflash, no one decides how they are going to be raised, that's their parents job. If my generation is really such a disaster, it just means that my parent's generation were disastrous parents.

There's no doubt. And for the record, my comments were about the parents' methods, not the kids, just as you say. Nor do I think whatever generation is the worst ever.

And some of the comments in the OP were stupid, like people really thinking that all of their 4000 Facebook friends are real friends. Nobody really believes that. That really does sound like an old, out-of-touch geezer.

I do think there's been way too much emphasis on self esteem and making everyone feel good the last x years. It's probably well-meaning but I think it goes too far.

 

[TheCount]

There's no doubt. And for the record, my comments were about the parents' methods, not the kids, just as you say. Nor do I think whatever generation is the worst ever.

Then you're already off course. The article is about how (allegedly) people 18 and under and increasingly describe themselves as gifted. If the problem is with their parents, then who taught their parents? Are you suggesting that their grand parents also raised awful children? That must also mean their great grand parents weren't so hot as parents either, right?

At what point did it flip from really awesome parents to bad ones? Do you classify yourself as a bad generation of parents? A generation that was just incrementally worse that the parents that came before you? I'm just trying to figure this all out.

 

[KLJ]

I do think there's been way too much emphasis on self esteem and making everyone feel good the last x years. It's probably well-meaning but I think it goes too far.

this is exactly how i feel.. good intentions gone way too far.

when i was reading the op the first thing that came to mind was not keeping score in children's sports because they don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

Then it's the old people's fault.

I'm always amazed when these inter-generational bashing things come out that commentator's always ignore their own generation's role. "Kids today" are the product of their parent's choices. If my generation is really the worst in American history. It really means your generation are the worst parents in American history.

I didn't decide that it wasn't okay to be outside without supervision. You chose to be afraid of every shadow. I didn't decide that every injury warranted a trip to the emergency room, you decided that I was "sensitive." To blame a person for their parents is stupid. That holds true whether it's one kid or a generation of kids. Maybe if you had taken the time to understand the technology you were creating and exposing your kids to, you wouldn't be stuck now trying to explain in retrospect what went wrong.

The fact of the matter is older generation's selfish short-sightedness has left my generation with the biggest mess to clean up since the Great Depression. You spent money you didn't have. You let infrastructure and schools collapse. And, you surrendered the responsibility of raising your kids to gadgets and social institutions which you decided had to coddle us.

So, honestly, I couldn't care less if you think I'm narcissistic. From what I can tell, your generation drove the world into the ditch. Sorry if I don't want your help backing out.

Its not all on the parents. Its society. More specifically its a society that creates a scenario where parents aren't exactly free to raise their kids how they see fit.

Parents cant discipline their kids w/o the fear of the "authorities" sticking their noses where they dont belong. Kids know that they can report their parents for abuse. So parents are in tough place in regards to discipline. Kids dont learn to respect authority.

The entitlement attitude is a huge problem. Its not the parents, its society overall. Once again, parents are at a real disadvantage here.

As far as the mess from the previous generation, blame the govt, not the parents.

Parents have plenty to be blamed for, but not most of which you mentioned.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Right WPB, I should have said society. Parents don't have much control over the policies of their schools and other influences.

And Count, I don't guess I follow. Are we going to broaden this out into a debate over free will now? As I said above, I should have said "society" because a lot of influences are outside parents' hands.

BTW, I've been around lots of good parents whose kids are very polite and respectful because they've been raised pretty much the way older generations did it. So I'm hardly saying every kid now is some brat. But I've also seen kids who pretty much fit the description of this article (though I do think this article is a little over the top) and IMO at least some of it comes from the attitude towards raising kids of the last decade or so.

 

[Galian Beast]

Right WPB, I should have said society. Parents don't have much control over the policies of their schools and other influences.

And Count, I don't guess I follow. Are we going to broaden this out into a debate over free will now? As I said above, I should have said "society" because a lot of influences are outside parents' hands.

BTW, I've been around lots of good parents whose kids are very polite and respectful because they've been raised pretty much the way older generations did it. So I'm hardly saying every kid now is some brat. But I've also seen kids who pretty much fit the description of this article (though I do think this article is a little over the top) and IMO at least some of it comes from the attitude towards raising kids of the last decade or so.

And yet despite people like you with this train of thinking, the plural of anecdote still isn't data.

 

[rkell87]

There are a few issues at stake here.

First I would say the superiority complex presented by older generations and a cynicism of younger generations. Many of you simply want to judge others.

I would challenge many of you to take a look at your confirmation bias and your preconceptions.

As for the subject at hand what many of you are describing is known as the Dunning–Kruger effect. It's not necessarily generational though.

lol this is funny coming from you

 

[Cowboy Brian]

My peers favorite songs include-

"Young and Gettin' it" - Meek Mill ft. Kirko Bangz
"No Worries" - Lil Wayne
"Birthday Song" - 2 Chainz
"Bandz a make 'er dance" - Juicy J
"Pop That" - French Montana

Don't think I pulled out random poor examples of popular songs, all are or have recently been high ranking songs on Billboard.

We have a generation of people that glorifies money, laziness and not "hatin'" on them.

"I just want the money you can keep the (derogatory term)'s cause i'm young and im gettin it." - This is not exactly what you want your son or daughter listening to and saying that's me.

"I got money all in my pocket and my audemars on shine, why you hatin' on me i'm just living my life, i'm just young and im gettin it"... - That's wonderful.


I do think this has to do with what kids glorify. Kids take their daddies watches and spend every penny they can get on beats headphones and clothes, they believe that appearance is everything. I have a friend who PAID for instagram followers & twitter followers. He has 10k+ on both. People crave fame to such a degree that they will do anything for it.