preview

The New Greatest Generation Analysis

Decent Essays

Many studies have been done focusing on the millennial generation. Most of them prove that we are self-absorbed and entitled, but there are also many studies showing how positive and accepting we are. The term ’millennial’ is broadly defined as individuals born between 1980 and 2000, but it all depends on who you ask. Some people will tell you that millennials are self-centered narcissist. For many people, millennials are the future, and the future looks very bright. In Joel Stein’s article “The New Greatest Generation” Stein not only explains, but defends the millennial generation. Stein explains that while “The incidence of narcissistic personality disorder is nearly three times as high for people in their 20s as for the generation that's now 65 or older” it’s not all our fault! Part of the blame may lie with our parents. The millennial generation has grown up receiving awards just for participating. Our parents unwittingly instilled a since of narcissism in an attempt to build self-confidence by telling us our entire lives that we can be anything we want to be. Maybe people are right; maybe we are a lazy generation of narcissists, but it’s not completely our fault. It’s no surprise that millennials are …show more content…

Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at the University of San Diego, is featured in both articles as writing Generation Me and The Narcissism Epidemic. In “The New Greatest Generation” Joel stein explains that when parents tried to boost the self-esteem of their millennial children, they accidentally boosted their narcissism instead. This leads to an entire generation of narcissists. "Just tell your kids you love them. It's a better message," says Jean Twenge. According to Eric Hoover “Ms. Twenge tries to practice what she preaches. She does not ask her young daughter, Kate, too many open-ended questions, like "What would you like for dinner?" She does not tell her that she's special, nor does she buy her clothes that say things like "Little

Get Access