Students maintain lazy attitudes, demeanors
Leticia Henry
Issue date: 4/23/09 Section: Features
Researchers contend that many young people are unapologetically focused on their self-interests and assume that the world will accommodate their demands. As opposed to working to attain a goal, today's generation of youth seems to feel entitled to success.
And rather than refuting that assessment, numerous students at Point Park University agreed with the contentions.
"The teachers that I have talked to say that this generation is different than any other," said Jodi Welch, a jazz teacher at Point Park who has more than 30 years of teaching experience with high school and college students. "They have had to deal with a lot of new issues with their students that just didn't come up in the past."
The entitlement attitude has become so prevalent in modern American culture that dozens of psychologists, sociologists and other researchers have conducted studies and tests to define the characteristics and dynamics of this anomalous generation.
Joshua Foster, a psychology professor at the University of South Alabama, conducted extensive research and administered the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) to a range of demographic groups around the world. The NPI asks subjects to rate the accuracy of different self-absorbed statements such as "I can live my life any way I want to" and "If I ruled the world, it would be a better place."
American teenagers proved to have the highest scores.
"Yeah, I have the entitled attitude, but I think everyone our age does. There's no escaping it," said Amanda Crivaro, a junior advertising and public relations major, said. "You just can't tell us no because we will still do what we want."
Another student agreed.
"We are a very selfish society. Everyone is out for themselves. I do think I have it," Ryan Sulli, a freshman broadcasting major, said.
Jean M. Twenge, a San Diego State University psychology professor, labeled the children of Baby Boomers "Generation Me." In her book, "Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled - and More Miserable - Than Ever Before," Twenge attributes the entitlement attitude of members born 1970 and onward to a variety of changes made in modern American culture.
And rather than refuting that assessment, numerous students at Point Park University agreed with the contentions.
"The teachers that I have talked to say that this generation is different than any other," said Jodi Welch, a jazz teacher at Point Park who has more than 30 years of teaching experience with high school and college students. "They have had to deal with a lot of new issues with their students that just didn't come up in the past."
The entitlement attitude has become so prevalent in modern American culture that dozens of psychologists, sociologists and other researchers have conducted studies and tests to define the characteristics and dynamics of this anomalous generation.
Joshua Foster, a psychology professor at the University of South Alabama, conducted extensive research and administered the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) to a range of demographic groups around the world. The NPI asks subjects to rate the accuracy of different self-absorbed statements such as "I can live my life any way I want to" and "If I ruled the world, it would be a better place."
American teenagers proved to have the highest scores.
"Yeah, I have the entitled attitude, but I think everyone our age does. There's no escaping it," said Amanda Crivaro, a junior advertising and public relations major, said. "You just can't tell us no because we will still do what we want."
Another student agreed.
"We are a very selfish society. Everyone is out for themselves. I do think I have it," Ryan Sulli, a freshman broadcasting major, said.
Jean M. Twenge, a San Diego State University psychology professor, labeled the children of Baby Boomers "Generation Me." In her book, "Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled - and More Miserable - Than Ever Before," Twenge attributes the entitlement attitude of members born 1970 and onward to a variety of changes made in modern American culture.
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