Jenny Damon (Edison): My Future’s so Bright, I Have to Wear Shades

    It has been a recent trend in the U.S. educational and social systems to stress the importance of self-esteem in children.  The old adage “Children are to be seen and not heard.”  has been replaced with “A trophy for all.  Everyone’s a winner!” attitude.  Half-hearted efforts by today’s youth are met with thunderous applause as the message of “You are special!” envelops them.  Young parents are even re-educating the grandparents in the fine art of tolerance over discipline with unruly children.  As the children who are products of this philosophy enter the work force,  feedback is forthcoming.  Many supervisors interviewed revealed that many young people today are dependent on “warm fuzzies” and feel that the basic expectations such as promptness, effort, and ethics are not inclusive of them.  A new study out entitled “Egos Inflating Over Time” warns of the increase in the “self-regard blossom” as My Space, Facebook, and You Tube exacerbate the perception.  The study by a San Diego State University psychologist warns of a future generation with potentially disabling narcissistic behavior.  This “ego rush” mentality can cause future social and personal problems as those afflicted are easily insulted and have increased difficulty forming emotional bonds with others.  Social implications indicate a society that treats each other badly.  Researchers from four universities recently asked students to fill out a “Narcissistic Personality Inventory”.  The results showed that two thirds had narcissistic scores higher than those of 1982.  It seems as we promote high self-esteem for our youth, in actuality, we are teaching something quite different.

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