It's all about me
 

Today's college kids lack empathy
Compared to 30 years ago, it's all about me now, study finds

Compared with college students of the late 1970s, current students are less likely to agree with statements such as "I sometimes try to understand my friends better by imagining how things look from their perspective,"....

"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," said Konrath, who is also affiliated with the University of Rochester Department of Psychiatry.

"The ease of having 'friends' online might make people more likely to just tune out when they don't feel like responding to others' problems, a behavior that could carry over offline," O'Brien said. In fact, past research has suggested college students are addicted to social media .

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This does seem to follow the theme that others have suggested lately: Every man for himself.

I went to College in Canada. I think compared to the 1970s, now is the time of technological innovations in communications such as the Internet, cell phones, text messages, email and more mobile devices. We used computers in College and we communicated through emails often.

I think that's because "communicating" with others has gotten to impersonal, texting, email. Also the ability to make yourself appear as you aren't to others, facebook/myspace.

Even thieves can keep a distance and steal in their own living room vs doing it in person.

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Big whoop...

I agree. It used to be that we had to consider the other person's situation before meeting up or calling... are they free? Are they wrapped up in something important? Are they even around? Are they having a fucked up day? Now, we can fire off an email or text and reach people just about anywhere, or simply wait for a response. Because of that, we can hold multiple conversations on a constant basis and not really get involved. It doesn't matter what they're doing or going through, they'll get back to [us] when they have time. This board is a prime example.

I think this bit about faking on profiles probably doesn't help. If someone is pretending what their own situation is they are going to be less likely to even believe someone elses as well as just lacking in empathy.

An opposite to the lacking in empathy side of things but based around this post is I had someone email me one afternoon when she was having a bad day and needed cheering up knowing i'm pretty much online all day only for her to have picked the one day that week when I was out. I did feel strangely guilty.

progress..

99% of college kids these days are fucking idiots with 0 common sense. trust me i know tons of them. they are all jobless and act to good to work at subway.

most of them had daddy rich pay their way and feel self entitled. the best is my buddies who "guaranteed" me they would make $75k out of college, YA OK BUDDY hahaha

I disagree....







Only because it's all about ME!!!

People are also much politer in person. Not many would ever think about actually saying the things they post. Keyboard arrogance.



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I wonder how much they paid to figure that one out.

yeah, I wish they would stop funding Studies of The Obvious.

OMG a post I agree with. I can't fucking stand book smart idiots.

I have a cousin who's parents basically bought him a house in Santa Cruz to go to college, and let him be in charge of renting the rooms out to other students. Now he lives in Europe and is an opera singer auditioning all over the place. Meanwhlie he thinks he knows fucking everything, I swear. He's on facebook defending the illegals in Arizona while he lives friggin Oktoberfest all year long. I love him, he's blood, but damn is he seriously lacking REAL life experience.

I didn't finish college, dropped out of University first year, and started my own business.

NO REGRETS.

I call them Generation I

I totally agree, I'm 28 myself so not entirely that old, but since I was raised in times when TV was boring as hell (communism), or actually even made sense (for a part of the 90's) before it turned into a complete waste of braincells (2000 - today) and there was no social networking meltdown going on, I might be able to compare.

I do hang out with people in early 20's a lot lately, and what I would say is that they're basically trying to be too much for too many people and in many cases lack any true deep relationships.

I'm making money to fund my personal spending since I was 17 years old and fund myself entirely since I was 22 years old, I only received something like $ 50 a month to pay for my college dorm till I was 22 years old.

My family never could afford to pay for me more and I would never ever dare to ask for money.

Spent a total of 8 years on college (yes I dropped out from my original college as I started to get engaged more and more in "business" and now eventually going to graduate next year), so I had a chance to meet hundreds, maybe thousands of college kids.

I agree - 95 pct. of those people are self brainwashing themselves with bullshit while never had to pull a finger to put food on the table.

They can be glad they live in socialism so someone will get them a job where they can waste someone else's money.

Are you talking about me? I hope not.... :mad:

But seriously though... you are on point for most of them lol.

Well said.

This, 'all about me', and lack of empathy has been going on for a decade or more. It's also not just all college kids. But you see it there per capita then other age groups in regards to daily interactions.