Working with and teaching Generation Me

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Working with and teaching Generation Me

• Jean M. Twenge
• San Diego State University

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Published in April
(Trade book)
www.generationme.org
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Paperback cover (out March 6)
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My research on generations

• How are young people today different from
  previous generations?
• Actual data on how generations differ in
  personality and outlook
• NOT just anecdotal observations (though it may
  reinforce your anecdotal observations!)

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How the research is done

• Psychological questionnaires used for decades by
  many researchers
• Data on college students at different points in
  historical time -- on the same measure
• College students demographics havent changed
  all that much
• Confirm change in samples of schoolchildren
• Data on 1.3 million individuals total

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3 areas of difference

• Self-esteem, narcissism, individualism
• Anxiety and depression
• Feelings of control, blaming others for problems

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What is this song about?
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The Greatest Love of All (1985)

• Everybodys searching for a hero
• People need someone to look up to
• I never found anyone to fulfill my needs
• So I learned to depend on me
• I found the greatest love of all
• Inside of me
• The greatest love of all
• Is easy to achieve
• Learning to love yourself
• It is the greatest love of all

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Self-Esteem (1994)

• Now I know Im being used
• Thats okay, man, cause I like the abuse
• I know shes playing with me
• Thats okay cause Ive got no self-esteem
• Shes saying that she wants only me
• Then I wonder why she sleeps with my friends
• Late at night she knocks on my door
• Drunk again and looking to score
• Now I know I should say no
• But Im just a sucker with no self-esteem

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Self-esteem

• Commonly believed that self-esteem is very
  important, especially for children
• Is correlated with happiness
• But also with defensiveness and unlikeable
  behavior under threat
• But self-esteem does not cause good grades or
  good behavior
• Small link and moves other direction
• May cause problems if not based in reality

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From the National Association for Self-Esteem
website
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Self-esteem programs

• Actively try to raise childrens self-esteem
• Unlikely to cause good outcomes, but does build
  individualistic thinking and self-focus
• Current cultural aphorisms
• Believe in yourself
• You can be anything you want to be
• You shouldnt care what other people think of you
• Never give up on your dreams

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Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale

• Most popular measure of self-esteem
• Items
• I take a positive attitude toward myself.
• On the whole, I am satisfied with myself.
• 223 samples between 1967 and 2006
• Total of 70,795 individuals
• First study 1967-1994

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Male college students self-esteem
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Female college students self-esteem
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College students self-esteem
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Update on self-esteem, 1993-2006

• Preliminary data
• 24 samples of 4,830 college students

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81 of 2006 students are above average in
self-esteem by 1967 standards, a 40 increase
since 1993 and a 62 increase since 1967
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Narcissism

• Self-centered, self-important. Inflated sense of
  self.
• Entitlement Believing one is special and
  deserves special treatment
• Also associated with lack of empathy and poor
  relationship skills
• Jerk!

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All About Me
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Popular Sunday school program for preschoolers
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I am special song for preschoolers

• (to the tune of "Frere Jacques")
• I am special,
• I am special,
• Look at me,
• You will see,
• Someone very special,
• Someone very special,
• It is me,
• It is me.

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Narcissism over time

• In the 1950s, 12 of teens agreed with the
  statement I am an important person. By the late
  1980s, an incredible 80 agreed.
• Increase in agreement with items like I have
  often met people who were supposed to be experts
  who were no better than I.
• But no systematic study until recently

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Narcissism over time

• 85 samples 16,475 college students
• Completed the Narcissistic Personality Inventory
  between 1982 and 2006
• Items
• If I ruled the world it would be a better place.
• I can live my life anyway I want to.
• I think I am a special person.
• I like to be the center of attention.
• I have a natural talent for influencing people.

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2/3 (65) of 2006 college students score above
average in narcissism, 30 more than in the
1980s.
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Narcissism over time
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Narcissism and outcomes

• Narcissism correlated with
• Poor relationship skills
• Focus on short-term relationships
• which might explain

Dating has gone the way of the dinosaurs,
eight-track players, and stirrup pants. Extinct.
Vanished. Kaput.
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Narcissism and outcomes

• Narcissism correlated with
• Risk-taking and sensation seeking
• which might explain

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Narcissism and outcomes

• Narcissism correlated with
• Materialism
• which might explain

College students
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Narcissism and outcomes

• Narcissism correlated with
• Entitlement and believing one deserves special
  treatment
• Lack of empathy for others
• Aggression and anger under threat or stress
• which might explain

• Rise in excuses among students
• 70 of Americans say that people are ruder now
  than they were 20-30 years ago
• School shootings?

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Narcissism and outcomes

• Narcissism correlated with
• Inflated goals and high expectations
• which might explain

High school students
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Narcissism and outcomes

• Narcissism correlated with
• Attention-seeking
• which might explain
• MySpace
• YouTube
• Broadcast yourself
• Reality TV
• iPods, TiVo

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On the first MySpace page I clicked on
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Anxiety and depression

• Anxiety items
• Does your mood often go up and down?
• Are your feelings easily hurt?
• Are you a worrier?
• 269 samples between 1952 and 1993
• Total of 52,248 individuals

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Male college students anxiety
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Female college students anxiety
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Childrens anxiety
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In your counseling centers

• Kansas State University, 1989-2001 (Benton et
  al., 2003)
• Twice as many with depression
• Three times as many suicidal
• Twice as many with stress/anxiety
• Twice as many on psychiatric medication
• Six times as many with academic skills problems

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Depressive symptoms

• 67 studies 58,290 high school students
• Data collected between 1976 and 2004

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Male high school students depressive symptoms
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Female high school students depressive symptoms
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Why?

• Increasing loneliness (parental divorce, living
  alone, general lack of community feeling, dating
  longer)
• Increasing threats (crime, terrorism)
• Harder to get into college and graduate school
  (but higher expectations)
• Economic pressures Housing, college tuition
  expensive

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Younger generations date longer, and experience
more breakups
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And if you do dream big and fail Its your fault
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Feelings of control, blaming others, cynicism

• Internal You are in control of your fate
• By taking an active part in political and social
  affairs, the people can control world events.
• Becoming a success is a matter of hard work luck
  has little or nothing to do with it.
• External Others and/or luck are in control
• The world is run by the few people in power, and
  there is not much the little guy can do about it.
• Getting a good job depends mainly on being in the
  right place at the right time.
• 138 samples between 1960 and 2002
• Total of 24,864 individuals
• Scale scored with external higher

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College students externality
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Why?

• Decreasing political interest among young people,
  alienation
• Increasing competition
• Victim mentality
• Liability lawsuits
• Preservation of self-esteem

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Summary

• Self-esteem Up 1960s-1990s
• Narcissism Up 1950s-2000s
• Anxiety Up 1950s-1990s
• External control beliefs Up 1960s-2000s

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Conclusions and observations

• How can we use this information to understand
  students and young people?
• Lack of respect for authority. Students will not
  automatically recognize your authority.
• Many will assume the rules do not apply to them
  (they are special -- cant you make an exception?)

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Conclusions and observations

• Communicate expectations and rules clearly.
• But dont give in! Keep your standards, and keep
  to the rules that are fair for everyone.
• Students (eventually) have respect for teachers
  and employers who have high standards
• Give reality checks. Especially true for family
  finances and the working world.

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Conclusions and observations

• The Entitlement Generation (high self-esteem
  and narcissism)
• All About Me How can the class be full? Why
  cant I take the exam when I want to?
• Its not my fault. (Excuses)
• Do not take criticism well
• May be surprised that it takes so much time to
  get promoted

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Conclusions and observations

• Dealing with complaints
• Consumer mentality (from materialism
  individualism)
• Entitlement and feelings of superiority
• Verify complaint independently (peer teaching
  review, other students)

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Conclusions and observations

• Higher expectations find a balance
• Dont say you cant, but give realistic
  assessment of chances
• Best fit for student
• Concrete directions and advice -- what are the
  requirements and steps?

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Scenario 1

• Student who fails a class because she did poorly
  on exams and rarely attended class the last
  month. But I really tried!
• At play
• Entitlement
• Externality (blaming others)
• You can be anything you want to be (you could if
  you tried hard enough)

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Scenario 1

• Empathize some. But dont give in Grades are not
  given for trying.

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• After all the Chargers
• really tried

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Scenario 2

• Student workers not available to answer questions
  because they are on the computer or their cell
  phone
• At play Entitlement addiction to
  Internet/e-mail belief that older people dont
  get it
• This is a job. You need to do it. You are not
  being paid to do personal things.
• Compromise? Can do these things when office is
  quiet, but must drop them immediately to do job
• If possible, get all supervisors in all work
  areas to same the same rules.

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Thank you for listening!
Any questions?