Doctor: Disparity between social media, reality a struggle for millennials
May 19, 2014, 10:45 PM | Updated: 10:51 pm
From Generation Y to Generation I, could it be that iPods and iPads have kids thinking it’s social “ME”-dia?
Dr. Jean Twenge, author of “Generation Me” and “The Narcissism Epidemic,” said the struggle between social media and social reality is now the status quo.
“Leave blame out and just say this is how the culture has changed, this is how these kids were raised and now we have to live with the consequences.”
Social media, constant communication and selfies contribute to an over-inflated ego.
“Overly-positive self-views collide with this terrible reality of high unemployment, especially for young people, where we just set them up to fail.”
The generational increase in narcissism was higher in girls and women, which Twenge contributed to advertisements and media.
While the self-indulgent aspects of social media are obvious, the negatives may be even more apparent with cyber bullying.
“It reaches kids at home and not just at school and it’s constant.”
While social media seems to be consuming this generation, Twenge said all hope is not lost.
“It’s overdone to blame parents on everything…you can still ground them with good values and that does make a difference.”