Questions on Narcissistic StudiesIn the article We are Raising a Generation of Deluded Narcissist, the author Dr.
Keith Ablow recognizes the ignorant stage of self-pride that many teenagers and young adults have possessed throughout this generation. He states that many have taken up so much confidence, as to say that it has gone way too far. So much is at the fingertips of young people that they can build themselves up in ways that do not seem plausible. For example, “college students are more likely… to call themselves gifted and driven to succeed,” yet their desire to act upon that success reflects poorly on their study habits.
Ablow comments that technology has brainwashed the minds of young people to be self-absorbed and obsessed with an image that does not exist within themselves. He sees that teenagers do not seem to focus on anyone but themselves, which has taken a toll on the effects of the world around them.The author mentions social media and technology as the factors of young people becoming obsessive narcissists. He quickly points fingers to the small things of the internet that have influenced people tremendously and degrades it below the level of how many others have come to view it.
The references of Twitter, Facebook, and television shows such as MTV come into play and he uses this as evidence to prove the unjustifiable self-love that are getting many “sons and daughters very sick” psychologically. Ablow briefly recalls studies of surveys and tests that have been performed on young people over the years to express how narcissistic they have become over time, yet he only backs that evidence up with personal observation and vicious criticism. This is not very good evidence because it only shows a narrow-minded perspective of how he believes the young people of today are.
He failed to mention a thorough case of real-life studies, and not just from a test score, that have observed people one-on-one to prove a change in behavior that has been deemed narcissistic. A lot more goes on behind a profile on Twitter or Facebook that should not be ignored as to being self-involved behavior without creating a study case for it.The author assumes that the young people of this generation are degenerate, self-conceited narcissists that do not care about anything but themselves.
They are living in a world of pretend where the reality of life is a “dizzying paroxysm of self-aggrandizing hype.” In other words, they only build themselves up to end up in a whirl pool of destruction. Even though he claims many of these theories, they do not seem valid because he only focuses on the ideas that he himself sees. There does not seem to be a perspective from the teenagers, therefore making the article a one-sided, opinionized paper.
After reading this article, I do not agree with the title that we are raising a generation of delusional narcissists. Everyone should have a chance to dream of a life of superiority where it can motivate them to strive for more. Especially at a young age where so much pressure is put on young people, the only way from breaking yourself down is by building yourself up, even if that means making yourself look delusional for having such a self-confident attitude.
The problem is not whether we are raising a generation of narcissistic people. The real problem is that we are putting these young people on a pedestal of impossibility which allows them to see what is actually not there. Dr. Twenge’s research on narcissistic scores was probably not included because it could have provided information that was contrary to Ablow’s point of view. Throughout the years, morals change and different contexts as to why these scores have gone up have a reasoning. For example, in the 21st century, the ideas of self-love have taken a toll on teenagers finding more confidence in themselves. They are set up to high expectations by technology and media that only causes them to want more for themselves, unlike in the previous generations.
On the graph at the end of the article, it indicates college students’ Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) scores between the years 1982 to 2006. Every 4 years that go by, the results increase gradually showing higher narcissistic personalities (this excludes from the years 1982 to 1989 where it decreased). Of the three graphs portrayed, Graph A seems to accurately describe the idea discussed in the first paragraph of the article. Graph A shows a negative correlation between the test scores versus the percentage of students that say they are gifted. The smaller number of students that state that they are gifted have higher tests scores as opposed to the higher number of students claiming to possess gifted talents seem to have lower test scores.
In Twenge’s research indicated in the graph, causes as to why teenagers and young adults have reached peaks of narcissism can be concluded. Nobody is born a narcissist. Everyone learns how to love and express love whether it be good or bad.
Whatever is concluded from this graph, it is because it started with a cause. As shown, there are various reasons as to why this generation has taken a turn that has changed society.If narcissism continues as to how it has been shown in recent studies, by the time the next generation comes around, there is no telling whether results will be good or bad. If anything, the children of tomorrow will be too focused on the idea of independence and self-involvement that there will not be time to come to terms with the outer corners of the outside world.
Yet even if this did happen, wouldn’t the adults of today be satisfied with what we have set to accomplish?My conditions of living and culture would rebuke the generation described in the article. I was taught to humble myself and comply to what the past generations wanted for myself and I could not defy a word of criticism. I couldn’t block off a harsh beating without it “being for my own good,” as well as talk myself up without quickly getting shut down. Despite this, I blend into the crowd of this degenerated generation because when you have constantly been put down, the only thing you can do is escape to a place that brings you up.
Narcissistic tendencies arise as you see so much success occurring before your own eyes and that success does not belong to you. You believe in yourself when there is nothing to abide by. In my new environment, I would put a halt to useless narcissistic delusions, and put them to use in a positive way. Instead of thinking one is above and beyond out of jealousy and emptiness, it can be out of self-motivation and self-love in a great manner. Self-love has taught me that I have a voice in time of desperation and no one can speak forth what you believe. You see a light at the end and you can change the world.
We can motivate the younger teens to take pride in themselves but let their actions speak as loud as their words
