As a millennial, you’ve heard condescending “advice” from your parents, teachers and in some cases, even your boss. They watch in disgust as you post a picture of the breakfast sandwich that you ate that morning and then blog about how your hair finally did that flippy thing you like. The older generation silently stews in their office chairs as self-entitled, selfie-taking, interns in their mid-20s start their first day of work.
At first glance, these people seem to have a point. As a millennial myself, I can’t say I haven’t seen some of the signs. Selfies are on a rampage. It’s becoming more common for the younger generation to post every minute detail of their lives on the multiple social media sites they control. Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and so many other companies are now multi-billion dollar corporations thanks to us.
Psychologist Dr. Jean M. Twenge is one of the most fervent arguers for the conclusion that millennials are obsessed with themselves. In a New York Times article entitled “Seeing Narcissists Everywhere,” Twenge commented on America’s culture of self-esteem. She said, “Younger generations are increasingly entitled, self-obsessed and unprepared for the realities of adult life.” Twenge is also the author of a study (in which she bases most of her opinion) that shows the tendency toward narcissism in students is up 30 percent in the last thirty years. Scientists like Twenge and other behavior specialists are essentially saying that the rising superpower in America, counting approximately 80 million citizens between the ages of 18 and 34, are all spoiled, self-involved brats.
There’s also a large amount of conflicting evidence out there. A recent American Freshman Survey, an annual survey compiled of thousands of college freshmen, revealed that some four-fifths of survey respondents rank their “drive to succeed” above average and more students than ever before consider themselves gifted. Yet, Generation Y is also the most educated generation in history, with over 23 percent holding a bachelor’s degree or higher, according to the Bentley University Preparedness Project.
Since when was it a bad thing to want to succeed in life? To want to be a confident and capable member of society? From an article in Forbes, author Hannah Seligson suggested that this behavior may stem from natural development. She said, “The 20s inherently are an inward-looking period of one’s life, where people focus on themselves and personal growth.” Older generations were once in their twenties, and in a similar position as us. Why the constant criticism?
Until recently, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders considered the term “narcissistic” as a psychiatric disorder. So educated scientists and doctors are basically labeling the millennial generation as having a serious mental illness.
One doctor actually believes this. Psychiatrist Dr. Keith Ablow stated in his article, “We are raising a generation of deluded narcissists,” that the media is behind millennial egotism. He said, “These are the psychological drugs of the 21st Century and they are getting our sons and daughters very sick, indeed. We had better get a plan together to combat this great epidemic as it takes shape. Because it will dwarf the toll of any epidemic we have ever known. And it will be the hardest to defeat.”
Take a second to let what Dr. Ablow claims sink in. Done? Okay. Seems to me that this is a kettle and pot issue. Social media is far from being the first technological influence on an entire generation. I’m looking at you, baby boomers.
“Everything the baby boomers did was based on what they saw on television,” said Douglas Gomery, a media expert and journalism professor at the University of Maryland. “They grew up as television grew up, and each had an impact on the other.” With this in mind, the majority of boomers certainly did not turn out as psychologically ruined sociopaths. So why do so many people of this older generation turn their backs on their children, blaming technology, when they were so similarly affected?
We are not the only ones on these corruptive social media sites, either. A new study from iStrategy Labs reported that from January 2011 through the beginning of this year, there was a 25 percent tumble in the number of users on Facebook between the ages 13 and 17, while there was an 80 percent surge in users with an age of 55 and above, according to Fox. The more these facts are brought to light, the more our parents’ generation seems like a bunch of hypocrites.
Ultimately, there is no amount of criticism that is going to change Generation Y. People can bring in however many specialists and doctors they would like to scold us and tell us we’re doomed to fail in society. Yet, there is a truth that they cannot escape from. We are the most self-expressive generation of our kind, and we are the future.