Current Release: September 11th, 2007 | Vol. XXIV Iss. 10

Narcissistic tendencies

By Melissa Fowler

mjfowler@vwc.edu

Approximately 204 freshmen were moved into Village I on Aug. 22. It was interesting to see the parents arriving and unpacking with the new students following anxiously behind. For the most part, it was parents doing all the talking to the upperclassmen who were helping freshmen move in. Then the parents left, and it was like a scene from  Animal House.

Once the parents were gone, it was clear that this group of freshmen thought that college was like the movies. From outside the village you could hear booming subwoofers and groups of people yelling and laughing. I was just waiting for someone to start hanging out a window.

Usually by the second week of school freshmen understand that college life is not a free-for-all. However, this year two weeks into school I m still waiting for someone to start hanging out a window. Could this behavior be caused by a new generation of self-absorbed teenagers?

A recent study conducted by San Diego State University found that today s college students are more narcissistic and self-centered than ever before. The study said that narcissists are more likely to have romantic relationships that are dishonest, short lived, and even violent and they will act aggressively to criticism.

Being no stranger to freshmen dorms, I have seen these kinds of behaviors. There are a lot of freshmen who will have their music on or will be talking ridiculously loud until two or three in the morning and when they are asked to be quiet because people are trying to sleep, they slam the door in the person s face. It is extremely self centered and narcissistic to think that you are the only person living on a floor. Believe it or not some people like to sleep at 2 a.m.

There are also many freshmen who are having relationship issues and cheating on their significant other. These same people get upset when they find out that their significant other is cheating on them as well. This really is a problem because a toxic relationship will ruin a person s emotional and overall well being. There will also be more instances of rape and sexual abuse.

Another issue is freshmen that party in Village III. You could ask most upperclassmen and they would say that in the past freshmen would not go to Village III unless they were invited. Members of this years freshmen class were there on their first night here. This is very dangerous for freshmen, because they think they can handle themselves which ties in with narcissism, and they really can t. They could easily be taken advantage of or get hurt.

Certainly narcissism is not found only in the freshmen class at VWC. It is a problem in all grades at all schools, however, it seems to get worse in freshmen every year. Hopefully, this study will help people look at themselves and realize that they have some self-centered tendencies that they can and should change.