Study reveals rocketing sense of entitlement on U.S. campuses

[Alan C.]

How college students think they are more special than EVER: Study reveals rocketing sense of entitlement on U.S. campuses

Young people's unprecedented level of self-infatuation was revealed in a new analysis of the American Freshman Survey, which has been asking students to rate themselves compared to their peers since 1966.

Roughly 9 million young people have taken the survey over the last 47 years.

Pyschologist Jean Twenge and her colleagues compiled the data and found that over the last four decades there's been a dramatic rise in the number of students who describe themselves as being 'above average' in the areas of academic ability, drive to achieve, mathematical ability, and self-confidence.

But in appraising the traits that are considered less invidualistic - co-operativeness, understanding others, and spirituality - the numbers either stayed at slightly decreased over the same period.

Researchers also found a disconnect between the student's opinions of themselves and actual ability.

While students are much more likely to call themselves gifted in writing abilities, objective test scores actually show that their writing abilities are far less than those of their 1960s counterparts.

Though they may work less, the number that said they had a drive to succeed rose sharply.

These young egotists can grow up to be depressed adults.

A 2006 study found that students suffer from 'ambition inflation' as their increased ambitions accompany increasingly unrealistic expectations.

'Since the 1960s and 1970s, when those expectations started to grow, there's been an increase in anxiety and depression,' Twenge said. 'There's going to be a lot more people who don't reach their goals.'

Twenge is the author of a separate study showing a 30 per cent increase towards narcissism in students since 1979.

'Our culture used to encourage modesty and humility and not bragging about yourself,' Twenge told BBC News. 'It was considered a bad thing to be seen as conceited or full of yourself.'

Just because someone has high self-esteem doesn't mean they're a narcissist. Positive self-assessments can not only be harmless but completely true.

However, one in four recent students responded to a questionnaire called the Narcissistic Personality Inventory with results pointing towards narcissistic self-assessments.

Narcissism is defined as excessive self-love or vanity; self-admiration, or being self-centered.

Twenge said that's a trait that is often negative and destructive, and blames its boom on several trends - including parenting styles, celebrity culture, social media, and easy credit - for allowing people to seem more successful than they really are.

. . .

'Coming from a good family might lead to both high self-esteem and personal success.' Baumeister said. 'Self-control is much more powerful and well-supported as a cause of personal success. Despite my years invested in research on self-esteem, I reluctantly advise people to forget about it.'

. . .

'In the long-term, what tends to happen is that narcissistic people mess up their relationships, at home and at work,' Twenge said. Though narcissists may be charming at first, their selfish actions eventually damage relationships.

It's not until middle-age they may realize their lives have had a number of failed relationships.

And even if they recognize something is wrong they may have a hard time changing.

'It's a personality trait,' says Twenge. 'It's by definition very difficult to change. It's rooted in genetics and early environment and culture and things that aren't all that malleable.'

Since narcissistic personalities develop as a coping mechanism, an increase in the number of people with a sense of entitlement, and other narcissistic traits, suggests an increase with problems in the families over the same period.

[masonman]

Man I wish I was feeling the narcissism. I keep seeing the reality of the situation and just feel underqualified, massively guilty, confused, soon-to-be financially strained and soon-to-be outcompeted. If I get out of college, actually get a good job, and have an employer that doesn't despise me, I will be the happiest man in the world hahaha.

 

Also I kind of think that these students are claiming they are more qualified than they are because that is how you compete, or at least how you are taught to compete. You're supposed to dress up all your qualities as nicely as possible so you can get a foot in the door and have a chance at a job.

[DoubtingThomas]

Grade inflation in K-12 followed by the most watered down post-secondary system the world has ever known is certainly a recepie for "over-quialified," egotists who are actually not qualified to do anything in particular and still need years of job training. I think it's absolutely hilarious that the researchers pin it all over the place EXCEPT in the moribund bud of rotten public schooling. Having run the gauntlet myself, from one of the worst public school districts in my state, emerging with a BA, BS, and half a dozen seperate jobs/career paths since then; I have a lot of sympathy for the poor kids who are still unaware of what's coming.