Posted on 01/10/2013 4:33:13 AM PST by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin
A new analysis of the American Freshman Survey, which has accumulated data for the past 47 years from 9 million young adults, reveals that college students are more likely than ever to call themselves gifted and driven to succeed, even though their test scores and time spent studying are decreasing.
Psychologist Jean Twenge, the lead author of the analysis, is also the author of a study showing that the tendency toward narcissism in students is up 30 percent in the last thirty-odd years. This data is not unexpected. I have been writing a great deal over the past few years about the toxic psychological impact of media and technology on children, adolescents and young adults, particularly as it regards turning them into faux celebrities—the equivalent of lead actors in their own fictionalized life stories.
On Facebook, young people can fool themselves into thinking they have hundreds or thousands of “friends.” They can delete unflattering comments. They can block anyone who disagrees with them or pokes holes in their inflated self-esteem. They can choose to show the world only flattering, sexy or funny photographs of themselves (dozens of albums full, by the way), “speak” in pithy short posts and publicly connect to movie stars and professional athletes and musicians they “like.”
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
That describes 7 of 10 of my 20-something nephews. Of the three conservatives, two are living in the basement playing video games.
I think your points are relevant mainly if you define “average” as “the same.” Every individual has some abilities, characteristics, and interests that make that person stand out from others. Naturally, people describing their loved ones - whether it’s a parent talking about a child, or any other relationship - will emphasize the ways in which the person is “not the same.”
For example, one might think that I believe the Outrageously Excellent Gunner Anoreth is “above average.” In fact, as a student, she’s quite haphazard and distractable, producing good results only when she really wants to. I promote her outrageous excellent based, not on academic criteria, but on many other ways in which she is different from other people, including being very different from me. (Bill and Tom, on the other hand, are far “above average” in certain academic skills, and they have the 97th-99th percentile SAT scores to prove it.)
I think the element of “not the same” is common among all my friends with respect to their children, no matter how the child is educated. Parents know the ways in which each child is different from others, and that forms much of the content of the parent’s “esteem” for the child.
Facebook, Twitter, “social” networking, et al are evil and will come to no good. This is another bubble that will eventually bust. It has to. And that will be a very sad and shocking day for those inside the bubble.
I work at a hospital in direct patient care where the hours are 24/7/365, and they don't close for holidays. We are required to work half our hours day; half off shift (evenings or night). I worked with a 21-year old who insisted that she should have every Friday off because she had a part-time job teaching aerobics. So since she didn't think she had to take a Friday work turn, everyone else had to always help cover Fridays.
Then she'd pick up another aerobic class to help another teacher and expect SOMEBODY to switch hours with her. When she couldn't get anybody to she'd call off or on one occasion just not show up.
The younger ones want their schedule adjusted because they go to school (OK reasonable) and also adjusted when they want to PARTAAAAAY!, when a home town team is in the playoffs, or Super Bowl.
LOL That's because they are. Why are the spelling bee champs always homeschoolers?
But don't believe me. Look up the performance of homeschoolers for yourself. I'm not going to do your homework for you.
Why not try it yourself, and compare? We've seen both sides with our two daughters. Both began homeschooled. We spent about two hours with our kids each day. After 6th grade, only an hour a day, mainly for math. My 17-year-old has worked on her own the last couple of years. She just got an academic scholarship to a government college. She's never set foot in a government school.
My other daughter is mildly autistic. She's done fine academically, but my three teacher SILs convinced my wife to put her in government school, for "socialization" and the great programs that they supposedly have for autistic kids.
Well, after several sessions with Wellesley and Smith-educated special ed teachers, an individualized plan was drawn up for my daughter. To make a long story short, her "special program" is a joke. Her classes are a joke. The whole thing is a joke. When she comes home, the three of us laugh about her day. My wife doesn't appreciate it, but what can you say about an English class where the students read 18 pages per week? She did double that per day when she was homeschooled.
Teachers pretend to teach, students pretend to learn, and parents pretend that the teachers are teaching and the students are learning. This is why the school monster is impervious to reform or elimination.
Though anecdotal, this has not been my experience. I can remember our kids coming home with words to practice spelling for tests each Friday; not unexpectedly and more than a few times they would initially spell the word incorrectly, and when I would say it was wrong and begin to tell them the right spelling they would say “It doesn’t matter... it’s okay, I ‘tried’ to spell it right”.
With my head about to explose and eyes twitching like Chief Inspector Dreyfus I then asked the rhetorical question: “Who told you that it doesn’t matter if you spell the word right?”. The answer of course... “Teacher”.
This is the perverted, upside down world of the libtard... everybody’s special... everybody deserves a trophy... and an arrogant, aignorant, self-aggrandizing a$$ clown is elected pResident.
Though anecdotal, this has not been my experience. I can remember our kids coming home with words to practice spelling for tests each Friday; not unexpectedly and more than a few times they would initially spell the word incorrectly, and when I would say it was wrong and begin to tell them the right spelling they would say “It doesn’t matter... it’s okay, I ‘tried’ to spell it right”.
With my head about to explode and eyes twitching like Chief Inspector Dreyfus I then asked the rhetorical question: “Who told you that it doesn’t matter if you spell the word right?”. The answer of course... “Teacher”.
This is the perverted, upside down world of the libtard... everybody’s special... everybody deserves a trophy... and an arrogant, aignorant, self-aggrandizing a$$ clown is elected pResident.
What does he mean, “are raising”????
There are a lot of 30 year olds, 40 year olds — Hell, 60 year olds — who think the world revolves around them. Its the Welfare State mentality that causes everyone to think that society owes them a living. Each generation, it infests more and more people. Self reliance and taking responsibility for your actions is out the window. Today’s kids — and a lot of today’s adults — need to have the support system cut off and should fend for themselves. That will cure any deluded narcissism problems.
That is another trend I find very disturbing. Since nobody is raised with social manners and graces anymore, just about everybody is interrupting, being interrupted, or you think you are having a conversation with someone and someone else gets their attention and there you are, talking to air.
I'm finding it less and less enjoyable to talk with people. Businesses emphasize how important communication is to the high heavens and 90% of people working have no idea how. I get emails from the edumacated who can't spell, have no grammar skills. I wonder how their resumes got past the screeners in HR. Course those clowns probably can barely read and write either.
These people have been in the workplace for the last 20 years.
“Doesn’t address my question or point.”
Hah! For someone claiming that young people are all narcissists, you’re remarkably immune to facts.
About damn time we got some facts in this thread. Well-said sir. Well said.
Not okay, “special and unique”. Everyone of them is gifted, special and unique.
“Who told you that it doesn’t matter if you spell the word right?”. The answer of course... “Teacher”.
And so we have come to “ horseshoe & bocce ball rules” where close enough
is good enough, and the individual doesn’t care about getting it right or
getting better
This is how “ dumbing down” , “ non informed” is nurtured, and society suffers.
A couple years ago, I went to an employment service for a part time job. The girl said that on the interview she set up for me, I had to be sure to look ‘professional’. THAT was a joke because I looked more professional than SHE did in her dockers and dirty shoes.
Anyway, I went the interview, Some clown half my age interviewed me for his dinky min. wage job. He had an earring, hadn't shaved or been to the barber, wore a wrinkled, tattle-tale-gray shirt... with NO tie...etc. THAT was the guy I was supposed to be ‘professional’ for and he looked like he was a bum.
I was glad not to be hired there.
It's a joke with these young people.
Also, I hate to go into a restaurant where young people sit with their legs crossed on the chairs, or prop up their feet on the next chair, they wear dirty clothes and sneakers, they have ghastly table manners, guys won't remove their hats, girls talk at the 50th decibel...etc. What ill-bred and immature slobs!
I just have refused to go anywhere like that. I'll go out less often and spend more if I don't have to hear or look at THAT!
And their narcissism helps LEOs track them down much faster. I say let’m think they are the smartest and best looking guys and gals on the planet. We know they’re not and deep down they know they’re not.
One thing I findfunny is that all of those liberal drug induced intellectuals that think they are smarter than you are so dumb they leave tons of bread crumbs to follow them right to their doorsteps. One guy had a photo of a vehicle with the license plate showing; ran it and tracked the guy right down to the house he was staying at... Idiot!....LOL
I see our society becoming like the human race in the kids’ movie WallE. They are all hooking on the gadget screens, each others business, and being one of the flock. No independent thinking.
I have to remind the young 30’s and 20’s in our office that their generation has not created anything totally new only piggy backed of the technology created in 40’s -70’ like computer sciences and space travel. It parallels Hollyweird, with few exception they have not introduced any new original themed items just cloning old movies and making them more bloody and sexed up.
Maybe just a little flaw in your logic cause it depends on your premise:
If you are speaking of just homeschoolers you are right there are some above, at and below average.
However, if you are talking about the entire population of school children then homeschooled children do consistently rank above average and are now the most sought after group for colleges admisssions.
Lurking’
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