Generation of Deluded Narcissists

First off: FANGIRL MOMENT!!!! Lauren Graham just got a Twitter and I almost fell off my bed in excitement!!!! She's been my favorite since the second I first turned on Gilmore Girls (and now Parenthood). Go follow her if you're a tweeter too!! @thelaurengraham

Now, back to the topic at hand! 

I had to read an article this week in my BYU Sociology class about the social forces put on adolescents. It was featured on FoxNews.com on January 8, 2013, written by Dr. Keith Ablow, and entitled "We Are Raising A Generation of Deluded Narcissists." Here's an excerpt:

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"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.'

"Using Twitter, young people can pretend they are worth 'following,' as though they have real-life fans, when all that is really happening is the mutual fanning of false love and false fame.

"Using computer games, our sons and daughters can pretend they are Olympians, Formula 1 drivers, rock stars or sharpshooters. And while they can turn off their Wii and Xbox machines and remember they are really in dens and playrooms on side streets and in triple deckers around America, that is after their hearts have raced and heads have swelled with false pride for 'being' something they are not.

"On MTV and other networks, young people can see lives just like theirs portrayed on reality TV shows fueled by such incredible self-involvement and self-love that any of the 'real-life' characters should really be in psychotherapy to have any chance at anything like a normal life.

"These are the psychological drugs of the 21st Century and they are getting our sons and daughters very sick, indeed."

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When I first read this article, I felt offended! Like this Dr. Keith Ablow was one of those grumpy old men who sat on his porch and yelled at kids all day for walking on his lawn...

And then I thought about it. And he's totally right!

And I'm caught up in it myself. 

I'm actually never logged off of Twitter or Facebook...it's up on my laptop or my phone at all times. I only post photos that I find acceptable. I only post status updates that I think will get "likes" or "retweets."  I follow celebrities on Twitter, get their tweets sent to my phone. And I've got 1,053 followers of my own! I watch The Biggest Loser while I eat pizza--because I can and it makes me feel just a tad bit better about myself. I watch Dance Moms--because I can't help but watch the train wreck. I only play Mario Kart because I know I usually win. I even have this blog (while it is for a class) and just assume people are interested in what I have to say. I'm even one of those people who occasionally Instagram's pictures of their food for goodness sake...

I am the deluded narcissist Dr. Ablow was referring to. And that's a dagger to the ego.

So, I'm actually going to log off Facebook from time to time. And possibly forget Twitter for awhile. If I can restrain myself that is. Someone should really just take my phone and lock it in a hidden safe somewhere. But yes, I'll try to get myself back to books, books that are uplifting and worth reading rather than celebrity gossip of some sort. Get back to the basics.

And you reading this, I'm willing to bet you've got a little deluded narcissist in you too if you look close enough.

Thoughts?