Your generation has been often been called "Generation Me." Does your generation have a sense of material entitlement? Read the following article from Newsweek and reflect on the author's discussion of narcissism. Do you agree/disagree? Explain why. Please offer a detailed response.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/194640
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25 comments:
To a point, I think it's important for oneself to have a high self esteem level. If you think you're ugly, or not perfectly shaped, it could possibly hold you back from doing great things, meeting new people, and having great experiences. To a point, this is healthy. But to be so obsessed with yourself, that you absolutely need to have the attention, the big parties, the clothes, friends, and money, is simply sad. It show's that you're selfish, for those who don't have half as much as you do are struggling to just get by on the bare necessities.
In our generation, its not as much as being in love with ourselves, (narcissism) but it's being materialistic. People are basically fighting for higher social standards based on the things they have, and not the people they are. That's what bothers me about this so called "Generation Me;" we can't see each other simply for who we are, but for what we have.
I agree with this article for the most part. Although i think it is very important to have a sense of self worth, i feel that a lot of people nowadays may have too much of it. People today feel that most things in life should be handed to them. They think that being alive and just being here gives them a sense of entitlement. i feel that some people may have lost the meaning of what hard work actually is.
I also feel that along with being narcissistic, our generation is very infatuated with material objects. If something doesn't ring, buzz, talk back, or do your work for you, most people just simply are not interested. I think that is society's main issue today. In my opinion we need to remember back to the days when these things weren't available, and be grateful for what we have now.
-Amanda Connerton
In reaction to this article, i think you should have self esteem but to some point. It's not ok to believe everything is about you and can be altered to your liking. The statement about showing up to every class and deserving atleast a B for going is something that happens all the time today. I see it alot of times in our school and its really annoying especially when your the one that is working really hard for your grades. Narcissim is deffinetly not ok but i believe many people are all about ''things.'' Many people just want to be popular have the best clothes, newest technology etc. We dont apprecciate the little things in life anymore and we dont know how fortunate we really are. we need to step back and look at everything we have before we go asking for more.
I agree with this article for the most part but I also think it's important to note that people within this generation are noticing this horrible trend to and realize it is wrong. I think the worst of this is not so much in my age range, but mostly in the toddler-3rd grade range. The way I see parents teaching their children lately is so appaling. A best example is unfortunately my own two little cousins. One is 6 and the other is 4. They are a cookie-cutter of what this article describes. They feel so entitled to everything and if they don't get it, you will feel their wrath. Another thing that bothers me about them and other children their age is how judgemental they are. What ever happened to the innocence of a child, accepting and receptive to anything and everything. Instead, anything new and differnt, my cousins along with other small children I've encountered regard it as, "WIERD!" I am however not entirely sure that it is completely the parents fault.
I think that it's important for one to have self confidence, but I feel as though confidence today is not coming from hard work and achievements. Now more that ever, parents coddle their children and give them everything they could ever want, but nothing they need such as values and morals. Children and teens today don't understand the value of money and how much work it takes to earn it.
People today don't feel good about themselves when they do community service to help others. They feel good when they acquire the latest "thing" that will satisfy their wants. People today are so consumed by what they can buy and how they'll get it, that they don't care to think about people who have nothing. Until we learn to step back and view the needs of people around the world, our generation will continue to be self-centered.
I think that the article has a good point. i feel that it is not applied to a lot of our generation but overall i think that we are the most spoiled generation of children. to say that we are all in love with ourselves is a little extreme though. to a point you should be in love with who you are and it is important to feel good about yourself and your life. i feel like our generation is more about the whole "i want the newest, best thing out there" idea. i agree when he talks about the crazy sweet 16 parties that girls have now and the types of things their parents throw money at for them being a little over the top. I feel like that our generation needs to change the idea of we are never happy because we dont have enough to being happy for what we have
I believe it is true, to an extent, that our generation is more materialistc and selfish than passed generations. Not every kid in America is like that, I believe people are getting the wrong idea from the media and television. Sure where we live we see the elaborate sweet sixteens and the fancy foriegn cars, but other towns and states are a lot less fortunate than us. You can not just associate "our generation" as being narcissistic, that is simply a stereotype.
Yes, I do agree that in most of the middle to upper class towns, people are constantly competing for who has the better clothes and cars, and flaunting money everywhere. I believe kids today get their ideas from those popular MTV shows about the spoiled rich kids. However a lot of families realize their income and don't flaunt their wealth. A lot of families today work very hard for what they deserve. Confidence is a good characteristic to have, selfishness is not. Being humble and confident is different from being cocky and self-centered.
I do agree that our generation is the most narcissistic generation ever. But i also believe that it is not our fault. Today there are so much T.V shows and media influence that are showing these materialistic people that are full of themselves. This stuff is all around us and it is hard not to fall into it and try to be like them. People are now somewhat brainwashed to believe that they are better them anyone else and that they deserve something that they have no entitlement to. Since all of these new advances in technology and everything were made people are used to getting things handed to them fast and easy, so now when they are faced with a problem that is not easy to fix or mom and dad cant help they dont know what to do. They cant do anything themselves.
I do agree with this article, but I think it is very exaggerated. People don't get plastic surgery as a graduation present, as said in the article. I do think our generation is very materialistic though. I think we may be very materialistic and care a lot about looks because the older celebrities are either showing off their looks or being criticized by the previous generation. Another thing I don't agree with is that media is making everyone seem like brats and only care about themselves. That is not the case for all people.
In school, you do see most people wearing the same things and doing their hair the same way, but that hasn't changed. There will always be a trend that everyone follows, so by this article saying we are all materialistic, yes we are, but same with the other generations. Like in the 80's everyone would make their hair big.
There is absolutely no argument about it, my generation has a greater sense of entitlement than any generation before it. We feel the need to indulge ourselves in material luxuries, because we're "worth it." Why? Because our generation has not seen what the rest of the world has. My generation has grown up in the comforts of suburban America, spoiled by helicopter parents and for the most part never having to endure its own struggle (such as a Great Depression). We must also consider how natural this progression is. Capitalism itself is based on the thriving of the market of material goods. Tyler Durden, the protagonist of Fight Club, says "Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy...things...we don't need. " Do we really need that Lexus to survive? Or those Air Jordans? We absolutely don't. But our country and our economic system do.
Our generation has been called a lot of things such as the ninja generation (no income no job/ assets) I think that we do live materialistic culture. Once we get something we have always wanted, it is not enough and we want more of it or something better. In reality, most people are never satisfied with anything they have such as things like oh I wish I had a better house, car, pair of shoes, etc. Also the sad truth is that we think we are entitled to things such as certain grades or certain freedoms/privileges.
Putting all the negatives aside I believe it is vital to maintain an image of yourself that you feel confident in. There is a limitation though; loving ourselves is fine but being completely obsessed is a problem. We need to realize that we earn recognition from achievements and just the way we are which some people have talked about in their blog posts. I agree 100% with Emily when she says “…we can't see each other simply for who we are, but for what we have.” That is the main factor why we are called the “Generation me” and we are better than that.
I agree with the author and her beliefs on narcissism in modern day society. I think over the years individuals have developed a greater sense of entitlement as they feel that benefits and rewards should just be handed to them. In regards to the title “Generation Me,” I think that my generation does get spoiled often with luxurious cars, and fancy clothes, and other things that teenagers wouldn’t possess years ago. The values of my generation are definitely different from past generations in that today people care about possessions and are extremely materialistic. Although I do think that positive self esteem is important, I believe luxurious gifts and items are unnecessary and should not be given away for no reason. Due to the decline of the economy I think that money should be spent on necessities rather than luxuries. The sense of entitlement that many teens posses will negatively effect them in the future when they discover that things will not always be handed to them.
Although there are several kids in this generation who think way too highly of themselves, I don't believe this is a Generation the revolves around narcissism. People are more aware of others now more than ever.
I do agree that people in the present day care way too much about how they look, what they're wearing it, and how they're acting. However, most people in America today are very aware of important issues that have nothing to do with themselves. For example, going green. People are going out of their way to recycle things in their household and buy eco-friendley products. Is this something that people actually care about or a fad that makes you look like you care? In my opinion, it's the former.
-Danielle Johnson
I believe that it is equaly narcistic to say call our generation the "me generation" and say that your generation has been raised better than ours. Honestly im insultwed that someone would dare accuse my parents of not being strict enough with me when they dont know me. I can guarantee you my parents did not spoil me, and if i miss behaved when i was young i would be hit. Obviously im not saying my parents abused me, i beleive they did a great job raising me. And to say that you hope the ressesion will "cure" our generations sense of self entitlement is ridiculous, especialy since this recession has nothing to do with us and when we grow up we'll be the ones paying for earlier generation's debt.
Generation me is a good title for the people born around my generation. There is no need for people my age to have buisness phones, and iphones, and smart phones of any kind because whats the use of them? So they could tweet or use facebook? Why would their parents even buy something like that for their child knowing that they could go on websites that are potentially harmful? Its as if their parents condone actions that could cotentially hurt them. My generations and generations under mine should henceforth be know as the US generation, because thats who we believe life is about.
I agree with this artcile, but I believe that it is a bit over exaggerated. It is healthy to have a good self esteem, to be happy with the way you look, your personality and to be happy with yourself. When it gets to the point that yoiur conceited with yourself and your craving compliments from others, thats when I agree with the article. Our generation, the "Generation Me," comes from the parents that spoil their kids and give them whatever they want, its all just a status competition. Our generation is very materialistic, we have a desire for things, things that we don't need or want. We need to learn how to appreciate the little things in life, that make a big difference.
I agree that our generation is going through these times, but to call them "problems" is an overstatement. i believe that everybody should really like who they are themselves because that is also a key to setting goals higher than others. another thing is that people should love themselves so that they can fit in more because someone with a high charisma and self esteem can go further in life, rather than someone who stays in the back and works alone. of course there should be limitations on how much you should go on to how much you love yourself, but believing that you are a good person will help out later in life and let you become more social with others. the problem really does not lie in the personality aspect, but the aspect of believing that you have the right to own everything. parents these days spoil their kids too much and don't exactly let them grow up too fast.
I agree that our generation is going through these times, but to call them "problems" is an overstatement. i believe that everybody should really like who they are themselves because that is also a key to setting goals higher than others. another thing is that people should love themselves so that they can fit in more because someone with a high charisma and self esteem can go further in life, rather than someone who stays in the back and works alone. of course there should be limitations on how much you should go on to how much you love yourself, but believing that you are a good person will help out later in life and let you become more social with others. the problem really does not lie in the personality aspect, but the aspect of believing that you have the right to own everything. parents these days spoil their kids too much and don't exactly let them grow up too fast.
I believe that calling my generation "generation me" is a generalization. I can personally tell you that I am not materialistic because my parents make me work for everything i get, nothing is just handed to me. I have a job and pay my own way for a lot of things. I realize that my hard work will get me things I deserve not just get things handed to me. I will say that a large portion of people my age are materialistic and it may be a larger portion then other generations but we are also doing a lot of good for the world that other generations did not, for example going green. The current recession we are in may also affect the materialism in a good way becausing my generation to realize that money doesn't grow on trees our parents go out and work for it and our time as come to do the same.
-katie mcwilliams
I think that only to a certain extent is this article correct. I do agree that many people in our generation think that mommy and daddy are going to give them anything they want, but not all. I think it's horrible when a seventeen year old doesn't understand that life isn't just handed to you, that you have to work for it. For example, when it is mentioned in the article that students felt if they showed up to every class that they deserved at least a B. Although some kids may receive a B, not all students should. Going to your classes is only a part of the job, you need to be an active participant in the classroom and work hard even when not in the classroom setting. I know it is very cliche to say but I sometimes do think there is truth to the idea "that you can't judge our generation because you're the ones raising it" but that it is also a very rude statement. Yes, part of our lifestyles are because of our parents and how they raised us but at seventeen years old, we also have a responsibility to become our own person and become who we want to become.
I hate to say it but I truely agree. Our generation has been brought up to been entirely self abosorbed. We focus so much on ourselves that we don't worry about other people. I understand the idea of helping to boost peoples self esteems but, our generation has taken this to an extreme. In America we are fortunate enough to be provided with so much. Our parents are able to provide us with everything we desire. Everyone is guilty. For example, I recently reliesed the amount of money my parents spend each year for me to play soccer. I never used to think twice about it, I figured it was my right to play not thinking about the tremendous amount of money it requires. Our generation is incredibly materialistic. We constantly try to one up each other not realising the true essentials of life. For example, walk through the school parking lot. See a brand new car that a 17 year old is driving. Is that necessary, no, but it shows their social standing. (no offense to anyone)
I believe that the key to our generation is learning from this materialistic life style we live. We must learn that there is more to life then the things we posess. We also must learn to think of others before ourselves. Our generation has been handed a great life, its our choice how to live it.
Our generation does have a big sense of material entitlement and it cannot be denied. We depend on technology completely for everything. The average high school kid probably couldn't go more than 5 minutes without sending a text message out to one of their friends. Why? I don't know. We were born with computers, cell phones, cars, and other technology. We started learning how to use these things at such a young age that we depend on them so much now.
I agree and disagree with the article at the same time. I can understand where the writer is coming from with the spoiled brats stuff, but a lot of kids aren't like that. It sounds like he's talking about the rich kids or the kids on those MTV shows. You can't associate our generation as the generation of spoiled kids just because of a select few people that you see. It's not that we are narcissisistic, we didn't invent this technology, we were brought up with it. Your generation created this technology which now taints our generation so blame yourselves and stop pointing fingers.
I think that everything is this article is debatable. “Narcissistic” is a harsh word to use, but I’m sure that that’s how those of a different generation view us. There’s no doubt that narcissism does exist and the levels may be higher now-a-days, but it is not by any means, this generation as a whole. I think that this generation does feel that they deserve more than they receive, more so than any older generation. But as time goes on, we’re also taught to work harder; that this world is becoming more and more competitive, and to be on top we need to work harder. Another part of being successful is believing in yourself and self-confidence. It’s a great debatable subject because although there are levels of narcissism, it may be a good thing (psychologically) in the end. Numbers of depression and disorders due to body image, are as high as ever because many of the youth do not look at themselves in a high manner. I believe that it’d be much better to have a world where everyone thinks they’re the greatest and they deserve the most rather than a world where everyone thinks badly about themselves.
Again, this is a very debatable topic and I’m sure everyone has a different view point. People will think what they think and people of an older generation want to think badly of us, then let us prove them wrong, whenever possible. The world around us is changing, and we’re just living in it and adjusting to the changes.
-RAY WEBER :)
I can say with confidence that my generation is filled with narcissits. The author's examples of leaders in the sports and business worlds are examples being set for future generations. People like this show their overwheling confidence. The connection between their confidence and their success may lead to a logical fallacy of being a narcissist will lead to a successful lifestyle. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
My generation does have a sense of material entitlement. Everyone seems to indulge in every whim. I do think our naiveness plays a role in this. I also believe the publicity through pop culture and the media have a strong impact on this issue.
***I'm positive I already responded to this blog post but I guess something went wrong in the process so I will do it again***
I agree with most of this article, but I think it places slightly too harsh of a generalization about American culture and society. Yes, I do believe, and I'm sure many others do as well, that this generation is very materialistic and more concerned with personal possessions than previous generations, but that does not apply to everyone. I think that caring about what you look like and the way you present yourself often says a lot about you, but it is not all that matters. Narcissism has essentially taken over the lives of many Americans and created a very familiar stereotype for our society as a whole. This whole idea really bothers me because in the essence of all the materialistic drama that exists in the world, we often lose a sense of who we are on the inside, which I believe is what is the most important.
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