single parents, 238, 242
teaching self-esteem, 292–93, 305
working, 297–305
Party Animals, 290
Paul, Pamela, 153
Peace Corps, 101
Perfect Madness (Warner), 253, 298
performance, 86–88
Perlstein, Linda, 200, 212, 220, 224
personality traits, 319–20
Peters, Ruth, 306
Peterson, Paula, 129
pets vs. children, 289–90
Pew Research Center, 4, 31, 116, 161, 184, 188, 255, 256
Phil, Dr. (McGraw), 65
Pitt, Brad, 171
Planes (film), 107
plastic surgery, 96, 134–36, 214
Pleasantville (film), 25
pole dancing, 214
politeness:
decline in, 32–34
measurement of, 55
politics, involvement in, 186–87, 191, 254, 298
Pond, Richard, 96
Poniewozik, James, 120
pornography, 213–14
possessions, 137–41
Post, Andrew, 166–67
Postman, Neil, 192, 220
Prince, Matt, 86
problems, admitting to, 322–23
product-liability cases, 198
profanity, 53–54
Prozac Nation (Wurtzel), 151
Psychological Bulletin, 79–80
Purpose Driven Life, The (Warren), 47
Pursuit of Happyness, The (film), 118
Putnam, Robert, 47, 150, 202
Q
Quarterlife Crisis (Robbins and Wilner), 13, 64, 108, 113, 114, 159, 172, 174
Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (TV), 257–58
questionnaires, see research
R
racial issues, 227–36
marriage, 39–40, 231–32
and self-esteem, 232–35
stereotyping, 231
Rasch, Rena, 187
Ravi, Dharun, 103–4
Reagan, Ronald, 239
Real Housewives (TV), 138
Rebel Billionaire (TV), 121
Reeve, Elspeth, xiv, 94
relationships:
and anxiety, 145
cuddle parties, 151
and extended adolescence, 116
friendships, 312–13
instability in, 151–53
lack of, 150, 154–55, 179
living together, 153–54, 225
and self-love, 130–34, 295–96
social networks vs., 156
unrealistic expectations for, 176
religion, 42–48
belief in God, 44–46
distrust in institutions of, 190
fundamentalist, 46–47, 75
and homosexuality, 259
make-your-own, 46
restrictive rules of, 46
therapeutic individualism in, 45
research:
age differences vs. generation differences in, 324–25
anonymity in, 322
author’s work in, 14–19
cross-sectional studies, 325
cross-temporal meta-analysis (CTMA), 323
effects of special events on, 323–24
over-time studies, 263–64, 269
on personality traits, 319–20
questionnaires in, 3–4, 320–21, 322
sources of, 12–13, 14, 186
on specific populations, 321–22
responsibility, personal, 185–88, 196, 198, 298, 309
Revolution from Within (Steinem), 78–79
Rich Kids of Beverly Hills (TV), 175
Riggs, Bobby, 236
Robbins, Alexandra, 108
Roberts, Julia, 25, 135
Robinson, Elisabeth, 118
Rock the Vote, 191
Roe v. Wade, 191
Rogerian therapists, 60
Rosen, Larry, 104
Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), 67
Rosin, Hanna, 215, 216
Rotter, Julian, 202–3
Rozler, Jessica, 217
Rubin, Jerry, 56, 60, 62, 63
Rubin, Kerry, 252, 254
Rutgers University, 103
Ryan, Joan, 2
S
Sacks, Peter, 35, 36, 199
sacrifice, 131
St. James, Aleta, 62
same-sex marriage, 255–56, 320
Sandberg, Sheryl, 249
San Diego State University, 157
Sanford and Son (TV), 175
Sarbanes-Oxley, 34
Schneider, Barbara, 110
Scholar, The (TV), 124
schools, see education
Schor, Juliet, 138
Schwartz, Barry, 155
Schwyzer, Hugo, 213
Sears, William and Martha, 169, 170
Sedwick, Rebecca Ann, 148
Seinfeld (TV), 257
self:
“California self,” 66
focus on, 6–7, 78, 134–41, 149, 253, 280
language of, 2–3, 64–66, 67, 113
standing alone, 149
self-control, 90–91, 305–7
self-efficacy, 89
self-esteem, 57–106
and Boomers, 59–63, 66, 67, 68–69
of children, 69–78, 81–86, 88, 293
and competition, 83, 90
criticism of programs, 88–91
ditch the movement, 291–96
and entitlement, 85–86
and excuses, 201
gender difference in, 80
GenMe’s focus on, 63–67, 68, 78, 134–41, 283
measurement of, 67–70
myth of success and, 87
and narcissism, 65, 87, 91, 92–99, 106, 132, 293, 313–14
perfect, 68
and performance, 86–88
and racial issues, 232–35
reality vs., 193–95
and relationships, 130–34, 295–96
in school curricula, 70–78, 81–86, 88–91, 194, 199, 291–94
and sex, 212
and social networking, 105
and socioeconomic status, 245
song lyrics, 57–58, 96–97
use of term, 57, 58–59
and work, 245
self-expression, 124–29, 137, 140
selfies, 67, 96, 105, 135
self-love, 129–34, 295
Self Matters (Dr. Phil), 65
self-promotion, 126
self-satisfaction, 67, 68
Seligman, Martin, 66, 88, 177
Seligson, Hannah, 100–101
Sesame Street (TV), 108
7th Heaven (TV), 77, 109, 129
sex, 204–26
abstinence pledges, 210
and death, 222
and disease, 221–23
and emotional involvement, 215–16
and generational differences, 208, 214, 215, 226
giving it up, 207–9
hooking up, 204–5, 215–18, 222, 223
and the Internet, 51, 217, 220–21
marketing of, 220
media portrayal of, 218–21, 222
oral, 211–13
and porn stars, 213–15
and pregnancy, 223–24
premarital, 209–11
as recreation, 215–16
safe-sex practices, 222, 223
and self-esteem, 212
and single life, 224–25
teenagers’ activity in, 205–6, 208, 211, 218–19, 221–24
waiting for marriage, 205
Sex and the City (TV), 152
sexting, 51
Shaw, Tyler, 267–68
Shields, Richard, 38
Shipp, Josh, 97
Simpsons, The (TV), 27
Singel, Jonathan, 261
Singled Out (DePaulo), 53
single life, 224–25, 238
single-person households, 152, 238, 242
smartphones, 52
Smith, Christian:
Lost in Transition, 30, 1
87–88
Soul Searching, 43
Souls in Transition, 30, 46, 77
young adults surveyed by, 45, 101–2, 138–39, 182, 191
Smith, Howard, 237–38
Smith, Kevin, 24
Snapchat, 123, 221
social change, 323–24
social consciousness, 100
social networking, 104–6, 123, 150, 156
social problems, involvement in, 186–87
social rules:
Asch study, 27–32
clothing, 21–23
and conformity, 23–24, 27, 54–56
decline of, 21, 26–27, 63
and health issues, 49–50
making your own, 30–31
at the movies, 24–27
and open communications, 48–49, 51–53
and oversharing, 50–51
politeness and manners, 32–34
and profanity, 53–54
questioning authority, 34–38, 51, 56
in religion, 42–48
in school, 35–37
for weddings, 38–42
Socrates, 6–7
Song of Solomon, 129
Soul Searching (Smith and Denton), 43
Souls in Transition (Smith), 30, 46, 77
Special Olympics, 90
spirituality, 42–48, 61
sports, 244–45
standard of living, 8
Starbucks, 140
Star magazine, 119
Starter Marriage, The (Paul), 153
State of the Union speeches, 65
Stein, Joel, 128
Steinem, Gloria, 78–79
Stevenson, David, 110
Stewart, Jon, 193
Still Killing Us Softly (film), 25
Stout, Maureen, 35, 83, 89, 90, 194, 291
Strauss, William, 9, 10, 42, 95–96
stress, 142–80
and anxiety, 145–47, 148
in college admissions, 157–59
and competition, 157–60
and depression, 142–45, 146–47
economic causes of, 160–70
and jobs, 159–60
and loneliness, 149–57
media stories as sources of, 177–79
physical symptoms of, 145, 146
and suicide, 143–44, 147–48
and unrealistic expectations, 171–77
student loans, 162–63, 167
success:
expectations of, 120
and hard work, 109, 111, 196, 198–99, 314
myth of, 87
SuChin Pak, 234
suicide, 143–44, 147–48, 284
superiority, feelings of, 68, 92
Supreme Court, US:
Brown v. Board of Education, 232
distrust in, 190
and miscegenation, 39
Survivor (TV), 121
Swan, Mara, 32
Swan, The (TV), 134
Swingers (film), 154
Sykes, Charles, 196–97
T
tattoos, 136–37
Taylor, Paul, 161
Teach For America, 100, 101, 269
teamwork, 280
teenage years:
author’s advice for, 311–18
cynicism in, 184–85
marriage in, 207–8
media consumption in, 173
pregnancy in, 223–24, 284
self-centeredness of, 97
sex in, 205–6, 208, 211, 218–19, 221–24
suicides in, 148
Teen’s Guide to World Domination, The (Shipp), 97
terrorism, 177–79
Tierney, John, 307
Time, 85, 128
Titanic, 98
Title IX, 244–45
tolerance, 28, 31–32, 103, 104
Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, 87–88
traits, use of term, 319–20
Trinkaus, John, 32
Trudeau, Garry, “Doonesbury,” 82–83
trust, decline in, 47–48, 317
Tuned Out: Why Americans Under 40 Don’t Follow the News (Mindich), 190–91
20/20 (TV), 129
twerking, 215
Twinkies defense, 197
Twitter, xii, 51, 53, 96, 104–5, 123
Two-Income Trap, The (Warren and Tyagi), 170, 302
U
UCLA, 158
underachievement, 73
unemployment, 8, 166
Unexpected Legacy of Divorce, The (Lewis and Blakeslee), 151
Unilever, 79
University of Virginia, 158
University of Wisconsin, 157, 158
Urban, Tim, 172–73, 279
US Army, 66
USA Today, 86
US Coast Guard, 272
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without,” 140
V
Vanderkam, Laura, 277
Vang, Tiffany, xi
victim mentality, 196–99
violence, exposure to, 310–11
Virginia Tech, 99
volunteerism, 100–102, 316–18
voter turnout, 191
W
Wallace, Carol, 123
Walters, Barbara, 129
Warhol, Andy, 122
Warner, Judith, 253, 298
Warren, Elizabeth, 170
Warren, Rick, 47, 76
Watergate, 190
wealth, age distribution of, 161
We Are All Special (coloring book), 2
weddings:
over-the-top, 123
personalized, 41–42
and social rules, 38–42
Wells, Brooke, 207, 211
West, Kanye, 96–97
What Really Happened to the Class of ’93 (Colin), 107–8, 122
What You Think of Me Is None of My Business (Cole-Whittaker), 28
Wilde, Olivia, 51
Will & Grace (TV), 257
Willpower (Baumeister and Tierney), 307
Wilner, Abby, 108
Winograd, Morley, 185
Wiseman, Rosalind, 214
Wolfe, Tom, 1, 60, 63
Wolf of Wall Street, The (film), 54
women:
changes in attitudes about, 238–48
double standard for, 210, 248
earnings of, 248
education of, 237, 238, 239, 286
equality for, 236–54
and gender in language, 240–41
Generation Me men and, 246–48
and motherhood, 239, 240, 248–54
and personality traits, 242–46
and Title IX, 244–45
at work, 239, 240, 249–54, 303
Woods, Marielle, 158
work, see jobs
WorldCom, 34
World War II, 9
Wu, Kevin, 40, 122
Wurtzel, Elizabeth, 151
X
Xerox, 126
Y
Yale Law School, 158
Yankelovich, Daniel, 60
York, Sara Ferguson, Duchess of, 61
“You can be anything,” 107–41, 283, 294
and delusions of grandeur, 120, 141, 172
and expectations, 109–14, 172
extending adolescence via, 114–19
and fame, 120–24
and “Follow your dreams,” 112–14
and self-expression, 124–29
and self-love, 129–34
uncertainty of, 159–60
young people, advice for, 311–18
Your Erroneous Zones (Dyer), 28, 59
YouTube, xii
Z
Zapata, Christine, 38
Zappos, 271
Zhang, Liqing, 183
Zoloft, 143, 144
Zucker, Bonnie, 128
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Copyright © 2006, 2014 by Jean M. Twenge, PhD
The author grateful
ly acknowledges permission from the following sources to reprint material in their control: Universal Syndicate for Calvin and Hobbes © 1992 by Bill Watterson. Dist. by Universal Press Syndicate. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved: 76, 197; Doonesbury © 1993 G. B. Trudeau. Reprinted with permission of Universal Press Syndicate. All rights reserved: 82–83.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Twenge, Jean M.
Generation me: why today’s young Americans are more confident, assertive, entitled—and more miserable than ever before / Jean M. Twenge, Ph.D. —First Atria paperback edition.
pages cm
Revised and updated edition of the author’s Generation me, originally published in 2006.
1. Young adults—United States. 2. Youth—United States. I. Title.
HQ799.7.T94 2014
305.2420973—dc23
2014008469
ISBN 978-1-4767-5556-4
ISBN 978-0-7432-8885-9 (ebook)
Generation Me--Revised and Updated Page 42