A new study says that teens are no longer too insecure, they are overconfident.
Researchers compared responses from teens in 1975 and 2006, asking questions about their qualities and abilities. The study, published last month, found that today's kids consider themselves to be far more intelligent and capable than their 1970s counterparts, and more likely to report being "completely satisfied" with themselves.
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In fact, according to the study's co-author, associate professor of psychology at San Diego State University Jean Twenge, for today's youth "confidence has crossed over into overconfidence." Too much self-esteem (overconfidence) may be just as damaging as too little self-esteem.
Twenge and other researchers believe that the decades of efforts to boost self-esteem may have created unrealistic expectations in today's youth, and their inflated self-esteem may lead to a sense of entitlement: "I'm great, so I deserve great things."
Sadly, it's not just teens. The entitlement mentality seems to pervade much of our society. I think it's one of the reasons we are currently in the dire economic straits we are. Everyone thinks their special, that they deserve special treatment, and that the rules really don't apply to them.
I think these people need to be introduced to Tyler Durden. "You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake. You are the same decaying organic matter as everything else."
