Author: Lisa Andrews
A study led by San Diego State psychology professor Jean Twenge came out recently which concludes that our generation of college-age students is the most self-centered. Between 1986 and 2006, students were asked to fill out a survey called the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI), and 2/3 of today’s college students scored above average on self-involvement. Should we be offended or worried by this? It certainly isn’t a distinction we can be proud of, but I am not convinced that the study accurately portrays narcissism among people our age.
The study asks students to respond to a group of forty statements that include: “If I ruled the world it would be a better place;” “I like to be the center of attention;” “I am special;” and “I can live my life any way I want to.” A positive answer to any of these would seem to make the person that responded a snob. At the same time, some of the statements come straight out of the “Self-Esteem movement” that began in the 1980s and in which our generation participated during elementary school. We were taught to believe that we are special and that we can make the world a better place. Perhaps for many students taking the NPI test, a negative answer to the statements would go against the picture of healthy self-esteem that is taught to them by teachers and parents. In the competitive, get-ahead world that we entered in order to get into college, a low level of self-confidence is portrayed as a liability- and the person that does not believe in him or herself risks being trampled on by more aggressive achievers. This may not always be true, but it is certainly a factor to consider when characterizing our generation as the most self-centered in history.
This is not to say that we don’t have our narcissistic moments. We can’t deny that we are a generation obsessed with putting ourselves on display. MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube are exhibits a, b, and c. American Idol, which is all about reaching fame and fortune, is one of the most popular television shows among people our age. The study also points out that “Generation Y,” as we are called, has a general sense of entitlement. We believe that good things should consistently come to us and are pretty upset when they don’t. This is demonstrated in our voracious appetite for material things and how short-lived trends are among young people. We aren’t a generation of spoiled brats, but we are a generation of consumers who could probably single-handedly keep iTunes and Ugg in business for a while.
Our generation is not completely self-involved. College students perform a lot of community service and political activism. The popularity of DWA as a major at Oxy and the enthusiasm about the creation of the CTSJ major speak to that. Making friends and meeting new people is also very important to our generation, which means that we are often looking outward rather than inward. So, in the end, it’s mostly up to us whether we stay defined as the most narcissistic generation ever. The NPI test picks up that we have narcissistic qualities, but this is what the test is looking for. The NPI is a measurement device and therefore assumes the existence of what it is measuring. It is bound to find an aspect of narcissism in everyone who takes the test. The fact that we have scored higher than any other group of college students on narcissism is too bad, but it is something we can fix. By focusing more on what we can give to the world rather than what we can get from it, we can use our great confidence in ourselves to be helpful rather than be out of touch. The parents of today’s baby boomers were named the “Greatest Generation.” Let’s not become the “Most Self-Involved Generation.” It just doesn’t have the same nice ring to it.
Lisa Andrews is an Undeclared junior. She can be reached at landrews@oxy.edu
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