Generation Me: Now with 40 percent less empathy.
According to a new study, today’s college students are less likely than their counterparts of 20 and 30 years ago to agree with statements such as: “I sometimes try to understand my friends better by imagining how things look from their perspective” and “I often have tender, concerned feelings for people less fortunate than me.”
“Many people see the current group of college students — sometimes called ‘Generation Me‘ – as one of the most self-centered, narcissistic, competitive, confident and individualistic in recent history” — Researcher Sara Konrath to LiveScience.com.
Being overly confident, self-centered, full of entitlement, annoying in general — it’s called being young. Young people have been making those mistakes since the beginning of time. If today’s students lag behind their counterparts, perhaps it’s because youth itself has been prolonged — the average 25 year old from 1979, for example, probably had far more adult responsibilities than the 25 year old of today. And it’s not all their (or their parents’) fault: the job market and the slashing of employee benefits like healthcare play a large role.
As for empathy, some are highly empathic from birth; but most need some hard knocks from life before their puny, feeble Grinch-sized hearts can grow.
I picked up this little gem on YouTube, via a great RSA Animate illustration of the words of Jeremy Rifkin: Continue reading
