Humans feel a basic need to be accepted. Whether this acceptance comes from parents, family or friends doesn't seem to matter.
Lately, it seems this basic need has changed drastically from acceptance to the yearning of not only the original acceptance, but also attention and approval.
A study by San Diego State University reveals today's college students are more narcissistic and self-centered than students were 25 years ago. The test asked students to respond to statements such as "If I ruled the world, it would be a better place," "I think I am a special person" and "I can live my life any way I want to."
According to Jean Twenge, the lead author of the study, the hike in perceived vanity can be traced back to parents repeatedly telling their kids that they're special. After hearing it constantly from their parents, Twenge believes students want to hear it all the time, no matter who is saying it.
Internet pages such as MySpace.com, YouTube.com and Facebook.com are popular among college students. One of the main attractions of MySpace and Facebook is the ability for students to post pictures of themselves, which aids this newfound need for attention.
This is vastly different from the networking these sites were originally created for, as young girls in middle and high school often are on MySpace posting bikini pictures and the like, in order to get their friends' approval in the form of, "OMG!!! I totally wish I had those abs, u r so cute!!" Users are so anxious to get more compliments that they add anyone as friends, which has led to the MySpace abductions in the news. Facebook's photo album is guilty as well, as college students post pictures of just themselves, so their friends can comment on their hair, makeup, fashion and/or body.
Because of these instances seen on Facebook, MySpace and around campus, it isn't surprising that the majority of the college population is considered more vain than it was a few decades ago. After all, with more and more parents telling their children they are special for the slightest thing they do right, the child is bound to not only want, but expect to be called special on a consistent basis.
This is not to say children shouldn't get approval or praise when they do something right, but to pound it into their minds that they are so "special" when they haven't done anything to prove so is wrong. Children should be rewarded for positive actions, not for slacking off.
Our culture has put so much pressure on children and college students that many develop an unhealthy sense of competition. That drive may cause people to focus solely on their own accomplishments to the point where they don't care about anything other than beating everyone else.
Students should step back from their work and habits to reflect on whether or not they put too much emphasis on themselves. Then, they should reorganize their behavior to incorporate a more balanced emphasis of the individual and the community.
