Are Youths Self Centered?

Consider the criticism leveled at young people that their only values are self centered ones. There has been a biggest drop in empathy in recent history. “College kids today are about 40 percent lower in empathy than their counterparts of 20 or 30 years ago. ” Self-centeredness is caring only about oneself and one’s own needs. Having a large proportion of self-centered young people would have a great impact on the society as the young people would be the future of the nation.

That would mean a generation of self centered individuals all over the country. Not to mention the values these individuals would impart to their offspring. But is this criticism valid? I do not agree that the criticism is valid. In this essay, I will be touching on two key points. Firstly, young people are just trying to find their own paths. Secondly, young people are still transitioning from children to adulthood. Young people are still in the process of finding their own paths.

Young people are taught to trust their own judgment, make their own decisions, fight for their belief, be themselves and persevere. However, in the process of that, young people are stopped and questioned of their actions. While defending for their actions that they have trusted and believed in, they get misunderstood for being self-centered and self- absorbed. Young people seem self-centered but in actual fact, they cannot find out about themselves unless they pay attention to themselves and do things for themselves.

That is how they learn their preferences, dreams, goals and passions. For example, young people have faced criticisms that they are self-centered and friend-centered. However, they are closer with their friends, as they understand better their needs, preferences and dreams as they are in the same age group. They aid each other in finding out about themselves. There are many things that have changed since parent’s time of teen-hood and they may not understand the challenges posed to young people now.

Therefore, young people seem like they are acting self-centered as they are just in the process of finding their own paths. Secondly, young people are still transitioning from children to adulthood. Young adults are facing many different emotions, needs, hormones, excitement and anxiety. In order to face these new feelings, they need energy and attention. This may result in the misconception of self-centeredness when the individual is trying to sate their own feelings. The teen period is a time of transition from the security of the small child to the adult world.

For example, physical changes in the body like menstruation and voice deepening is a very frightening and confusing change, and in process of dealing with these changes, physically and mentally, suddenly, what is to be understood and secure has changed. New rules have been set. All these new details start to form mountains and it leads the individual to think, “So what exactly am I suppose to do? ” As a result, they turn their attention to themselves and get misunderstood as being self-centered. Therefore, young people seem like they are acting self-centered as they are still transitioning from children to adulthood.