Generation Me

Entitled, arrogant, lazy —characteristics of the Millennials. According to William Strauss and Neil Howe, the authors of “Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation,” Millennials are the generation born between the years 1982 and 2004.
With populations of about 90 million, this generation has grown up with smartphones, tablets and Kindles; these new advances in technology have created a radically different environment, resulting in behavioral changes.
A study in the Personal and Ubiquitous Computing journal found that smartphone users begin to habitually check their phones; users reach for their phones about every ten minutes. About 77 percent of young adults, ranging from 18-24, have reported symptoms of nomophobia, or the fear of being without a mobile device.
“I would say I am addicted to my phone,” freshman Sybil Snow said. “I check it once every five minutes because I feel like I received a text or something.”
Furthermore, incidence of narcissistic personality disorder is three times higher in the Millennial generation than compared to the older ones. According to the National Institute of Health, 58 percent of college students scored higher in a narcissism scale in 2009 than students in 1982. For these reasons, Millennials are often thought as narcissistic and materialistic.
“I think we are pretty narcissistic,” sophomore Maddy Maloney said, “I feel like we care more about ourselves than anything.”
Not only has the obsession with technology led to self-absorption, but also efforts to increase children’s self-esteem have backfired. Nicknamed “trophy kids,” Millennials are considered overconfident because of constant praise from their parents. This endless, sometimes unwarranted, flattery produces people who are unable to sustain jobs or relationships.
Yet, a generation’s greatness is based on how they react to change, making the Millennials’ future unpredictable.