Nikki Cheshire 11/25/2012 Psych 100H Ray Are Todays Youth More Self-Centered than Previous Generations?

Since the introduction of online social media networks, and the increased availability of these networks in various forms, people have become increasingly focused on self-promotion. From MySpace and Facebook profiles to Twitter feeds, and even things like Instagram and Pinterest, people are encouraged to post pictures and ideas all in the hopes of getting positive reinforcement from others. Additionally, positive reinforcement is sought in order to obtain a boost in self-esteem, a value thats become central to modern society through the self-esteem movement. People urge todays youth to gain self-esteem and become strong individuals through various means of expression, which inevitably includes social media. However, despite the fact that all this selfpromotion can appear to be incredibly narcissistic, todays youth is not any more selfcentered than previous generations; rather, they are just presented with more public outlets for such behavior, which can produce the illusion that they are more narcissistic than their older peers. While the self-esteem movement was originally intended to encourage the healthy development of children, some people believe it has achieved this goal a little too well, resulting in children who are egotistical, self-centered and ignorant to the needs of others. Whereas self-esteem is often described as ones feeling of approval, acceptance, and liking of oneself, narcissism is defined as an excessive interest in oneself, often resulting

in an inflated sense of self-worth and arrogance (Gray). Self-esteem, as proposed through Mark Learys sociometer theory, is not only for judging oneself, but serves to gauge the likeliness of whether or not one will be accepted into society (Gray). Narcissism despite inflating these factors and possibly leading to results such as higher self-esteem can cause negative effects as well, such as distorted judgments of ones abilities, risky decision making, [and] potential addictive disorders than can degrade ones overall quality of life (Twenge). In recent years, studies have depicted a spike in the numbers of youth who classify as potentially narcissistic. A meta-analysis of American college students depicted a systematic increase in scores on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, and though the effect size for the shift is statistically moderate, the shift itself is larger than the effect of violent video games on aggression (Twenge). This shift has come very recently, and according to the study has spiked the most drastically in the past 25 years. Such an increase in self-promotion has been not only credited to the self-esteem movement (which, coincidentally, has become more prominent in the last 25 years), but also to the increased availability of social networks. One symptom of a narcissistic individual is the constant desire for approval to uphold their view of themself, and sites such as Facebook, Twitter and other social media serve to provide an immediate reaffirmation of power and ego (Tobak). Additionally, the fact that people are always surrounded by the culture of constantly updating profiles, pictures and personal information in order to be accepted encourages self-promotion from an early age. However, the accuracy of studies such as Twenges are questionable. There are many discrepancies such as the fact that this type of study is completed through self-

report, and the fact that there is a lack of data over time to compare with the metaanalysis results (Twenge). In an additional study conducted by Trzesniewski, a large number of high school and college-age students in northern California were asked to rate their intelligence compared to the general population. Despite using the same scale as Twenge (the NPI), the researchers found no evidence that self-enhancement changed over time (Trzesniewski). The survey did find slight variances in narcissism between genders and races, but failed to find a significant change in self-promotion when compared to previous generations (Trzesniewski). Its possible that the increase in narcissism that appears to be happening is simply an illusion due to the fact that peoples behaviors and thoughts are more public and easier to access through social networks and other media outlets. Additionally, the self-esteem movement cannot be entirely to blame, as a comprehensive study completed by the University of New Orleans Department of Psychology in order to correlate narcissism with behavioral problems in children found that individuals with higher exploitative narcissism scores showed higher levels of internalizing symptoms regardless of self-esteem (Lau, Marsee, Kunimatsu, Fassnacht). The study went on to conclude that narcissism is possibly a result of low self-esteem rather than simply an overly high sense of self-esteem, as adolescents may try to mask their lack of confidence with a false, inflated ego (Lau, Marsee, Kunimatsu, Fassnacht). As a result, its difficult to confidently conclude an elevated level of narcissism in todays youth. In the end, a lack of conclusive evidence and the ability to obtain different results even when using the same NPI scale proves that such a disorder as narcissism is difficult to measure accurately. Therefore, due to inaccuracies and inconsistency of results, the

self-esteem movement and social media cannot be blamed as causing a narcissism epidemic. Rather, its possible that due to the increased focus and availability of seemingly narcissistic behaviors, the illusion of such an epidemic arises.

Works Cited Gray, Peter. "Self-Esteem as an Index of Others Approval and Acceptance." Psychology. 6th ed. New York: Worth, 2011. 486. Print. Lau, Katherine S. L., Monica A. Marsee, Melissa M. Kunimatsu, and Gregory M. Fassnacht. "Examining Associations Between Narcissism, Behavior Problems, and Anxiety in Non-Referred Adolescents." University of New Orleans Department of Psychology Child Youth Care Forum (2010): 1-14. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. Tobak, Steve. "Social Networks and the Narcissism Epidemic." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 29 Aug. 2012. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. Trzesniewski, Kali H., M. Brent Donnellan, and Richard W. Robins. Do Todays Young People Really Think They Are So Extraordinary? An Examination of Secular Trends in Narcissism and Self-Enhancement. Psychological Science 19.2 (2008): 181-187. Abstract. Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Psychological Issues (2012): 124-132. Print. Twenge, Jean M. Egos Inflating Over Time: A Cross-Temporal Meta-Analysis of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory. Journal of Personality 76.4 (2008). Abstract. Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Psychological Issues (2012): 116-123. Print.