Brandon Webster "The Narcissism Epidemic" Outside Reading

The authors claim that American society has become increasingly more narcissistic over the past decades with a rise in the focus on individualism, materialism, etc. The authors claim the main cause for the rise in narcissism is the due to the new “self-esteem movement” in parenting. Where parents once used to enforce discipline and respect for authority as the most important qualities in their children, they now focus on telling their children they can do whatever they want, and be whatever they want, which in the author’s eyes has a negative affect on society because people are focusing on themselves rather than their communities. I agree with their argument. I believe parents are now more concerned with being their children’s friends and letting them do what they want, rather than instilling discipline, and this is evident when the children grow up and have an “it’s all about me” mindset and show characteristics such as personal dominance, inability to feel sympathetic, etc.