Here’s what today’s style of parenting, which constantly tells kids they’re amazing, has brought us. Imagine how poorly these self-centered young adults are going to fare when they enter the work world.
Jean Twenge, author of the book “Generation Me,” is in the middle of the discussion. The San Diego State University psychology professor has made a career out of finding data that she says shows that college students and others their age are more self-centered — narcissistic even — than past generations. Now she’s turned up data showing that they also feel more superior about themselves than their elders did when they were young.
“There are some advantages and some disadvantages to self-esteem, so having some degree of confidence is often a good thing,” says Twenge. But as she sees it, there’s a growing disconnect between self-perception and reality.
“It’s not just confidence. It’s overconfidence.”
