There’s a study floating around which tells us that college freshman think more highly of themselves than ever before compared to past generations.  They have an over-inflated sense of self that is not matched by their actual skill level.  For example, “While students are much more likely to call themselves gifted in writing abilities, objective test scores actually show that their writing abilities are far less than those of their 1960s counterparts.” 

A related study cited in the article mentions a 30% increase in narcissism in students since 1979.  The cited reasons include, “parenting styles, celebrity culture, social media, and easy credit - for allowing people to seem more successful than they really are.”

There are two points to be taken away from this article.

Yes, our celebrity worship culture and the rise of helicopter parents absolutely fuels this inflated sense of self among younger Americans.  But I would also add that government education has made its mark as well.  Government education teaches to the lowest common denominator and is not out to challenge today’s children … it is there to make the less-capable feel better about themselves.  The “self-esteem” movement.  Yeah, that works.  You can’t use red pens because it evokes a harsh emotion in young children.  If someone brings something for the class, everyone in the class must share it so as to not hurt anyone’s feelings.  You know the drill. 

The other point is that this is exactly the type of person and culture who would vote for a narcissist like Barack Obama for president.  We’ve chronicled Obama’s narcissist tendencies on Nealz Nuze, and it doesn’t surprise me that this culture would put a man like that in the White House.  Just remember that young people voted for Barack Obama by a margin of 60% to Romney’s 36%.

These college kids are at that magical time in their lives when they think they know everything.  They have the solutions to all the world’s problems.  They grow out of it eventually.  Some of them.  The others become Democrats.