 "Photo: Karl Spurzem")
A report released last week named college students today more in love with themselves than any previous generation - a condition known as narcissism.
Jean M. Twenge, an associate professor of psychology at San Diego State University, defined narcissism in her recent study as "excessive vanity and sense of entitlement."
Twenge's study, which was conducted over the past 24 years, is based on the responses of 16,000 college students who completed a survey that measures narcissism called the "Narcissistic Personality Inventory."
The inventory measures responses to an array of statements, including, "If I ruled the world, it would be a better place," and, "I can live my life any way I want to."
Twenge is also the author of the book, "Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled - and More Miserable Than Ever Before," which chronicles reasons why this generation feels and acts the way it does.
One of the key causes Twenge gives is the "self-esteem movement" that was implemented in elementary schools when today's college students were children.
Charlesette W. Foster, a counselor for Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Health Center has differing views from the Twenge report.
Foster said far from being too concerned with themselves, the university students who come in to see her at the health center are usually so psychologically devastated, they need to feel important.
Students in this generation are different from previous generations, Foster said, because students have been told they are special from a young age.
"It's really interesting to think of them as expecting more than students in the past," she said.
But Foster disagreed with characterizing students as narcissistic.
"If it was true narcissism, people wouldn't care about others," she said.
College students clearly do care about others, she said.
Foster also said that true narcissism is a serious personality disorder that prevents people from having normal relationships.
Instead of characterizing today's college students as narcissistic, Foster said, a more accurate characterization of is to say they are more insensitive to others than previous generations.
Foster gave the example of a sign on the drive-through to the Nebraska Credit Union that reminds drivers not to be rude by talking on their cell phones while completing transactions with tellers.
Eva Sohl, a junior political science and ethnic studies major, said she feels her generation is labeled more narcissistic because youths take greater advantage of new technological advances that have been built around individualism.
"It's very easy to criticize our generation from the outside," said Sohl, who feels that every generation is criticized by older generations.
"It used to be sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. Now, it's Facebook, cell phones and iPods," she said.
Sohl noted that legislation has been proposed in Nebraska to restrict the driving privileges of young drivers, even though young people aren't the only drivers that cause crashes.
When asked to comment on Foster's characterization of her generation being more insensitive, Sohl said insensitivity was a problem for all of society.
Sohl suggested that instead of criticizing the current college generation, researchers should look to empower it.
"Demeaning criticism isn't necessarily effective," she said.
