Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled--and More Miserable Than Ever Before by Jean M. Twenge

Aug 12, 2007 Babiejenks added it Recommends it for: no one

generation me has a promising start. i can dig the whole, the self-esteem education approach has developed a generation with a heightened predisposition for narcissism bit. as the daughter of a moscow conservatory-trained violist, i have been hearing my mother complaining for the past two decades about how american students (as opposed to european and asian ones) are totally incapable of dealing with criticism. with a music instrument there is no "A for Effort." you either hit the right note, or...more generation me has a promising start. i can dig the whole, the self-esteem education approach has developed a generation with a heightened predisposition for narcissism bit. as the daughter of a moscow conservatory-trained violist, i have been hearing my mother complaining for the past two decades about how american students (as opposed to european and asian ones) are totally incapable of dealing with criticism. with a music instrument there is no "A for Effort." you either hit the right note, or you didn't. so it would definitely seem like a valid observation that america's particular ego-insulating take on child development could yield a lot of egotistic children.

there's even a semi-astute extension of this theory into an explanation for the civic cynicism in the recent generation of once would be "rebels." all this focus on the self, i.e, "you gotta believe in yourself, and then you can achieve anything," or "you have to love yourself before you can love anyone else" could logically translate to a widespread political apathy. after all, if things are screwed up, you're supposed to be able to take care of it simply by believing in yourself more... right? not by joining with the other people who are in the same boat as you and working towards affecting larger institutional change together, certainly. while prior generations of youth were protesting, and organizing towards making an impact in social justice and civil liberties, we can't even be bothered to vote. the promotion of a rampant, definitively american style of radical individualism (hellooo, Ego, how YOU doin`?) certainly could be a suspect to bring in for questioning on that charge.

however, beyond these two points the book is a mess of contradiction, anecdotal "proof," and some mind-bogglingly trite answers to the narcissism epidemic (how did the editor okay "watch less MTV, and get your daily dose of essential fatty acids, kids" as a valid "solution".... seriously?)

the biggest disappointment of the book is that it actually fails to present any kind of sufficient analysis for the implications and applications of this elevated cultural narcissism. don't get me wrong, i think the diagnosis is dead-on. i just don't think the symptom chart is all that accurate.

perhaps the most glaring oversight in the book is the complete ignorance or denial of two very significant books on the future of life for the coming generation, resulting in statements that end up being glaring contradictions of prior trend-forecasts.

to read the full review visit: http://social-creature.com/too-narcis...(less)

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Jun 27, 2008 Jeanne rated it 1 of 5 stars

As a fellow Gen Xer, I looked forward to reading this book. Generation Me started out with a bang and ended on a sour note. The extensive research and results that Twenge quotes in the first few chapters is impressive, albeit redundant. She makes a solid case displaying the factors behind the current sense of entitlement and subsequent depression of today's Gen Xers.

However, things begin to fall apart halfway through the book. The reader begins to get a sense that the author is working backward...more As a fellow Gen Xer, I looked forward to reading this book. Generation Me started out with a bang and ended on a sour note. The extensive research and results that Twenge quotes in the first few chapters is impressive, albeit redundant. She makes a solid case displaying the factors behind the current sense of entitlement and subsequent depression of today's Gen Xers.

However, things begin to fall apart halfway through the book. The reader begins to get a sense that the author is working backwards by developing a theory and finding (shaky) research to support it or ignoring facts altogether to support her theory. She quotes statistics supposing to show how housing costs, including taxes, have risen astronomically, but glosses over the fact that average house is larger. An attitude of whining quickly ensues. She illustrates over and over how much a small one-bedroom condo costs in some large city. Perhaps Gen Xers would do better to realize that location in real estate matters, and just because a condo in San Diego is half a million dollars, doesn't automatically mean that they deserve to have a job affording the condo.

The saddest and most disappointing conclusion Twenge draws is that relating to having children and working Moms. Quote from the book, "...children who attend day care centers are actually smarter [than children who do not]." This is a perfect example of formulating a theory and searching out a study to support it. The small study referenced included only 1000 children, mostly from low-income families. It has been challenged time and time again with results from larger studies stating that there is no difference in the intelligence of children who attend day care versus maternal care when mothers' education was factored into the study. Her statement is inflammatory, adds fuel to the fire in the so-called Mommy Wars, and does nothing to help women unite in caring for children.

She also vilifies the statement that the last two decades of parenting have the belief that "Only you, the individual mother, are responsible for your child's welfare." If the mother should not be responsible for the child's welfare and the one to say "the buck stops here", than whom does Twenge suggest take on this role? Even in a village, someone must step up and take responsiblity.

It's ironic that in the 30-page chapter devoted to providing solutions, Twenge, herself a self-focused Gen Xer, spends more time telling the rest of society how to adjust to Gen Xers rather than asking Gen Xers to develop and change. The list she generates for employers alone to relate to Gen Xers is ridiculous. It includes things such as including video clips and moving graphics in training seminars because without them Gen Xers will be bored and put to sleep; and teaching them how to "clean up" their language and use Mr. & Mrs. when addressing older folks. What is her first recommendation to Gen Xers? To quit watching MTV's Crib show. Only two brief paragraphs are devoted to Gen Xers learning to develop realistic expectations.

And continuing the same vein of irony, Twenge says that the Gen Xers are entitled to paid parental leave (almost all the other countries in the world have paid parental leave, why not US? - can you hear the whining?), a system of public preschools for 3- and 4- year olds (YIKES! The government and public schools are doing so well with K - 12, let's give them the 3 year olds, too), tax deductible child care expenses, and a change in school hours (to more closely match working parents' hours).

This book should be renamed Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled -- and What Everybody Else Should Do For Them and Give Them Because the Baby Boomers Screwed Them Up.
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Sep 01, 2007 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Gen X, Gen Y, Millenials and those who love/emply them

This book is not, thankfully, a "kids today!" diatribe. The author is firmly rooted in Gen-Me (anyone born post 1960, it seems) and examines her own prejudices, expectations, entitlements as she asks the reader to do. If you grew up accepting "Free to Be You and Me" as nothing new--perfectly obvious that mommies are people and can be firemen and that you shouldn't put your horse in a dress--then this book is about you.

Gen-Me is not necessarily about selfishness (though can be a result), but it's...more

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Feb 09, 2009 Katie rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book was all over the place. Twenge makes a few good points, but mostly it seems like about halfway through she forgot what her point was. While she starts out arguing that our generation (which spans birth years from about 1970 to...the present, it seems) is selfish and needs to get over itself, somehow by the end she is arguing for mandatory government funded preschool for 3 year olds. And ranting about how at least we're more tolerant of gays. And frantically throwing out as many pop cul...more This book was all over the place. Twenge makes a few good points, but mostly it seems like about halfway through she forgot what her point was. While she starts out arguing that our generation (which spans birth years from about 1970 to...the present, it seems) is selfish and needs to get over itself, somehow by the end she is arguing for mandatory government funded preschool for 3 year olds. And ranting about how at least we're more tolerant of gays. And frantically throwing out as many pop culture references as she can pack into a paragraph, including block quotes from "Batman Begins." I don't know what to say to this. Deadlines are killer, I guess?

In general while some of her number-crunching is indeed impressive, Twenge relies too much on pop culture crap to tell her what "our generation" thinks and how we behave. While there is indeed some correlation between what we watch on TV and who we are as people, it seems ridiculous to turn to Law and Order spinoffs, The OC, and sensationalist CBS reports on teen sex as primary sources. There's a streak of intellectual laziness in this book such that I nearly expected her to start citing Wikipedia articles.

There's also an overbearing tone of snarky dismissiveness that makes Twenge's prose hard to handle even when I agree with her. Gratuitous cliched parenthetical asides like "yes Virginia, such places to exist" in referring to France's system of social safety nets are distracting, off-point, and fail to add anything to the entertainment value of the book. It simply alienates the reader by letting us know just how poorly the author thinks of us.

The entire chapters on sex and tolerance both seemed off-point and like they belonged in another book. Either one could have been tied in to the overarching theme of selfishness, individualism, and "self-esteem" without too much effort, but Twenge did not put in this rudimentary amount of effort, so the chapters just sit there, filled with shocking and stunning pop culture references and some statistics, waiting for someone to interpret them.

(I suppose she, too, expects we'll give her a trophy for trying?)

And ironically, it's hard to ignore just how often Twenge calls attention to herself, in all her individual specialness, in the pages of this book where she attempts to skewer our generational narcissism. Right off the bat, in all the bragging about her scholarly research as an undergrad and grad student, there's supposedly humorous comments about how the librarians must have seen the piles of books she left in the stacks and wondered what she was doing. Yes, your extra special and unusual habit of leaving books and journals on desks in an academic library must surely have drawn their undivided and fascinated attention!

Twenge also makes the Baby Boomers out to be selfless, altruistic, spiritual people in contrast to the shallow narcissism and selfish worrying of Gen "Me." This makes no sense. Children are raised by parents. The psychodynamic theorist in me is tempted to probe into why Twenge engages in this kind of "splitting" but honestly, I'm not that interested. "Whatever."(less)

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Jul 12, 2010 Jasmine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: american

Okay this is one of those books that I want to give a totally high rating cause it was a good old time, but I feel a little dirty rating it this high because it is also academics pandering for the modern dollar. I know, I'm complaining about academics with horrible grammar but hell this is the internet.

This book is great it obviously has a lot of great research behind it. However, a lot of the research is not fully fleshed out and replaced with stories. Think of it like saying I did this gigant...more

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May 28, 2008 Dia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Before I even read this book -- just upon reading reviews of it -- I was gleefully using it to support long-pent-up rants aimed at the younger people I work with. (Behind their backs, of course. And I really do love them. But.) As I began reading it, though, the rants melted into sadness...and more sadness...and finally outright anxiety on behalf of the folks it describes, which actually (though not technically) include myself. The research is sound, and the prognostications are not pretty. Stil...more

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May 29, 2008 Wendy Jackson rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People in their 20-30's or people who work with such people.

Recommended to Wendy by: Karen Bullock

Shelves: science

Reading this book was, for me, like looking in a mirror. I was born in 1974 so I fit into the group the author calls Generation Me. As I read the book, I repeatedly thought, "Yes, that's exactly how I think about that issue," and usually the reasons she gave for why GenMe thinks/acts a certain way, were my reasons as well.

The book explores lots of areas in which GenMes differ from Boomers, from our view of work including what kind we want and how much of our lives they are willing to give to it...more

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Jul 04, 2008 Rosanne rated it 2 of 5 stars

Apparently young people today are depressed and selfish. They won't be as monetarily successful as their parents, but they don't realize that until well into their 30s because they spend their 20s pursuing their unattainable dreams and still being supported by their parents. Does this book generalize? Yes. Is some of this common sense? Yes. It is interesting? Yes, but still, she never explored any one topic in great length and the book seemed to me like a glorified list of differences between ge...more

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Apr 16, 2010 Skylar Burris rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sociology, economics, sexuality

For a condensed version of the longer review below, click here .

Twenge defines “Generation Me” as anyone born from 1970 to 2000, which includes what is otherwise known as Generation X, Generation Y, and Generation Z. I do appreciate that she expanded her label to encompass many years, since I was getting tired of hearing a new generation named every other month. (My brother once said to me, “In MY generation…” Dude, we have the same parents. Doesn’t that sort of make us the same generation by de...more

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Nov 14, 2009 SheWunders rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-11, non-fiction

I thought this book contained a lot of good insight into the current generation, but there was not enough appliction as to how to deal with challenges (only about 10% of the book). There's loads of information as to why "Gen Me" is they way they are & how they got that way - interesting stuff. But as a "Gen Me-er" (born in 1982) I think this book painted a terribly unfair picture of my generation. In many ways I think it's too early to categorize/doom us. Most of us have lived only 1/4th our...more

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May 16, 2008 Julia rated it 2 of 5 stars

An impressive undertaking! The author dug up tens of thousands of peer-reviewed studies that used the same standardized surveys on personal and cultural beliefs in order to look at changes over time. Mostly comparing Baby Boomers and what she terms 'Generation Me' (born between 1970 and 2000), she presents some amazing findings and some interesting theories.

The main reasons for my score are:

1. Redundancy in the text

2. Narrow view of the results (i.e. I feel like some of her findings could have b...more

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Jan 29, 2012 Merissa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, notable-annoying-qualities, nonfiction, politics-economics-sociology, society-and-social-commentary

Just like apparently everyone born after 1974, I had unrealistic expectations...for this book. And they were met with an unfulfilling reality. It started out strong and quickly devolved into the author's thinly veiled ranting about her dissatisfaction with her own career, financial situation, relationships, and female triple burden. The chapter on rising social equality was poorly researched (and, some studies would indicate, antithetical to trends in social equality) and I couldn't get over 1....more

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Aug 06, 2011 Ron rated it 4 of 5 stars

Chris Colin--who has specious credentials at best--blurbs that Twenge cites 'actual data' in this book. Twenge however is a Gen Xer who wants to identify as Gen Me so strongly that she has written a book that is largely composed of anecdotal information (and introduces most hard data with references to her dissertation or PHD work to build her own self-esteem, a movement she roundly criticizes) and refers to this generation as 'us' when talking about positive features and 'them' when rationalizi...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Michael Robinson rated it 4 of 5 stars

If you are over 40 like me and wonder why churches, civic groups and other affinity groups seem to have a hard time attracting and keeping new members, this book may give you some insight into the cultural shift that has occurred with those under 35 years old.

Generation Me is no means a drive-by pop psychology book or an older-generations bashing a younger generation. Twenge backs up her assertions with lots of research and surveys done over the past 60 years.

Many of the cultural changes and eme...more

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Apr 22, 2011 Bojan Tunguz rated it 3 of 5 stars

As many of other reviewers have pointed out, this is an interesting book with a good premise, but ultimately frustrating and full of shortcomings. The basic premise of the book, that the recent generation of people is more self-centered and self-confident, is well argued in the first few chapters of the book, with plenty of empirical evidence and detailed statistical analysis. If book had focused on those claims and chapters, it would have been very convincing and interesting. Unfortunately, Twe...more

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Mar 27, 2011 Ritu rated it 2 of 5 stars

I did not complete this book and have returned it back to my library....I am tired of whiners....everything belonging to olden days is not the best...my opinion is that every generation tries not to repeat the mistakes they perceived their parents making and therefore bring up their children differently....so the current generation me kids ARE going to be different and will have a new set of issues, problems to deal with....it is unfair to make comparisons and pretend that everything in yesterye...more

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Feb 02, 2011 Carol rated it 2 of 5 stars

Didn't love author's writing style, which could be sarcastic and crude at times. Statistics from studies became tedious. But stayed with book for those sections that enlightened me on what motivates the current generation, what does not motivate them, and what is forecasted for their future. It is not positive. Book points out how they expect more but will achieve less than their parents (typically). Written by a liberal, and nothing about spirituality or what she does write about God I found to...more

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Dec 18, 2010 Sara Cat rated it 1 of 5 stars

Conservative rant in the guise of research.

How did this book irritate me? Let me count the ways. I read it after it was highly recommended by friends who share more or less my birth year and are members of what the author has termed "Generation Me." The book is touted as a culmination of years of research into generational attitudes, but is in fact a series of rants, logical fallacy, sarcasm, and snark. I found myself furious from page to page - and ended up marking pages to let the book speak f...more

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Jun 27, 2010 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

This reads like an essential textbook for those of us born in the 70s, 80s, and 90s who want to gain the big-picture perspective on why our generation is the way it is. The author is also of this generation and handles the myriad data with self-awareness, wit, and expertise.

I felt both chastised and affirmed as I read the data that confirmed a lot of the internal struggles I deal with as a girl growing up who absorbed messages including 'be independent,' 'follow your dreams,' 'you can do anythi...more

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Apr 11, 2010 Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is dead-on about my generation. I couldn’t believe it. It was really eye-opening to realize how much I am a product of my generation and culture. It put into words everything I was feeling about my transition from college to the real world and the anxiety and pressure that comes with always trying to “find my passion” in a job. Growing up, we were taught by our parents and teachers that we could be anything we wanted to be and were encouraged to “follow our dreams,” which is a great se...more

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Jun 02, 2009 James rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: cultural-critique

I gave up reading books on generational theory in the early 90's when I discovered that they said my generation (X) was lazy and apathetic. I didn't care to hear that, so I went and took a nap, and researchers ate their words as Gen X-ers proved to be active in social issues and apt at making money.

This book avoids some of the pitfalls of typecasting generations and for that it is praiseworthy. Twenge looks at what she calls Generation Me, a group which spans thirty years(70s-90s), as a generat...more

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Mar 31, 2010 Khaya rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Curmudgeons like me!

Shelves: readablenonfiction, thought-provoking, we-re-all-going-to-hell

I remember watching "Reality Bites" on video with some friends in college. Supposedly this was THE Generation X movie, and as someone with a 1973 birthdate, I was a solid Gen-X-er. Whatever that means. I remember the characters' cynicism and aimlessness, and I suspect the movie was pretty aimless as well because I don't remember a single thing about the plot (mostly, I remember debating with myself over whether Ethan Hawke's goatee was scruffily cool or just plain off-putting). I never really un...more I remember watching "Reality Bites" on video with some friends in college. Supposedly this was THE Generation X movie, and as someone with a 1973 birthdate, I was a solid Gen-X-er. Whatever that means. I remember the characters' cynicism and aimlessness, and I suspect the movie was pretty aimless as well because I don't remember a single thing about the plot (mostly, I remember debating with myself over whether Ethan Hawke's goatee was scruffily cool or just plain off-putting). I never really understood what it actually meant to be a Gen-X-er, and the movie didn't help much.

But this book did. Twenge includes the amorphous Generation X (as well as people born in the '80s and early '90s) in what she aptly calls "Generation Me." I found myself nodding and saying "Yes!" to myself as Jean Twenge made many observations that I felt were right on. We've thrown out a lot of our sense of formality and social rules and encouraged individuality at the expense of conformity, with mixed consequences. Yes, it's nice that no one cares any more whether you wear white shoes after Labor Day or dictates the choice of careers open to women. But the fact that parents are expected to be more democratic, teachers expected to teach more interactively and hand out good grades more readily, that the rules about what constitutes TMI have basically gone out the window -- good thing, or bad thing?

Then, there's the whole self-esteem thing. I think I've said this on goodreads before, but I feel compelled to rant here that one of my pet peeves is the use of the terms "high self-esteem" and "low self-esteem." I think they're complete misnomers; I've met very few people whose self esteem was unilaterally "high" or "low" because self-esteem is way more complex than that, or certainly should be. In my view, the dichotomy is between "healthy self-esteem" and "unhealthy self-esteem" -- healthy self-esteem being an accurate sense of your strengths and weaknesses, and unhealthy self-esteem being an inaccurate sense of your strengths and weaknesses. Your bias may be high, low, or more frequently, bidirectional -- the point is that it's a bias and can therefore be dangerous.

Be that as it may, Twenge attacks the self-esteem movement and I heartily agree with her (despite her insistence on describing the focus as "high self-esteem"). School curricula designed to raise self-esteem as an end in itself are sorely misguided, says Twenge. Simply praising children over nothing is empty and shallow, and at its worst, breeds narcissism rather than accurate self-confidence. Kids' mistakes should be corrected by their teachers -- otherwise, how will they learn?

Rather than focusing on self-esteem, says Twenge, schools would be far better off focusing on self-control and persistence -- research has demonstrated these qualities, far more than self-esteem, to be correlated with success. And instead of "All About Me" projects, why not have kids interview their classmates instead and learn about others? The world might actually be a better place if we stopped worrying about ourselves so much and started thinking about other people. Now there's a thought.

Similarly, popular myths like "you need to love yourself before you can truly love someone else" are a load of crap -- people who love themselves are narcissists, and narcissists don't function well in relationships. Self-esteem is not necessarily a prerequisite for a good relationship -- in fact, it's actually the result of a good relationship; people in good relationships tend to have higher self-esteem than people who are alone.

Twenge goes on to describe the inevitable disappointment of Generation Me, fed on a steady diet of "You can be anything you want to be" only to get out into the workforce and meet unsympathetic bosses, the realistic need to work at jobs that may actually feel unfulfilling (go figure), and an ever-increasing cost of living. This may be a factor in the ever-rising prevalence of depression and anxiety among young adults, pretty ironic and sad when you consider that the world we live in is actually way more comfortable and convenient than in previous generations.

Twenge also talks about the cynicism of this generation. Ironically, while we're taught we can "be anything we want to be," we also have less and less belief in our power to change the system or even ourselves. Rather, we have a "victim mentality" that may start out as excuses for poor performance in school (Twenge maintains that while some learning disabilities are certainly legitimate, everyone seems to be searching for factors outside the child to explain the child's poor performance and/or bad behavior rather than encouraging responsibility) and ends up as a feeling of apathy toward social problems.

It's a pretty bleak picture, although more or less accurate in my opinion. Twenge does have some ideas about how to improve things -- forget the whole self-esteem movement and focus on self-control instead; provide better career counseling for young people; provide more support for working families (subsidized child-care, school schedules that are more compatible with parents' schedules, etc.); don't automatically side with your child if someone complains about his behavior; don't overthink your problems; value social relationships; cultivate realistic expectations rather than assuming you should "follow your dreams" no matter what (boo to you,
The Alchemist); etc.

I was quite enthusiastic about this book as I was reading it and decided to give it five stars for that reason, but I should qualify that by saying that lots of people have voiced some legitimate criticisms. My husband questions her research and the validity of some of her conclusions and feels she's being a bit of an alarmist, a sentiment which may have been voiced by some other goodreads reviewers. So take what I say with a grain of salt, but for what it's worth, I found the book to be an insightful view of the generation I grew up in and a lot of its problems. It depressed me, but it also made me want to think about how I can avoid these pitfalls both personally and as a parent. I think that's worth a lot.(less)

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Jun 14, 2009 Daniel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Starts out interesting but descends into misplaced topics. Twenge increasingly includes her opinions as the chapters progress and facts become more and more sparse. Overall, the topics and ideas are interesting but the opinions and digressions are distracting. It's obvious halfway through the book she's a socioeconomic determinist.

I couldn't decide if it was ironic that the book discusses how our Generation over-self promotes and then Twenge constantly refers to her research that was "the larges...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Amberlee Bixler rated it 5 of 5 stars

I hated this book as I was reading. Yes, the author's cynicism is impressive - and only gets more so as time progresses. Yes, her enthusiasm for the topic wanes as the book progresses.

But if you stick with it, and let it - this book will change how you view everything around you. Covering topics from religion, advertising, and the future, it's nothing if not thorough and completely supported.

As a GenMe-er, the ideas presented bitch-slapped me, and presented me with the image that, as a member of...more

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Mar 21, 2011 Lisa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

Being a GenMe myself, I was compelled to read this book. I thought Twinge would give me a good insight to why my generation act the way we do. Generation Me encompasses generations X, Y and Z. To her credit she does a great job at attempting to dissect our generation. I was shocked to read that most of what I thought were my own personal traits was just the outcome of my generation and that most people who were born from 1970-1990 had the same traits. As I read the first few chapters it seemed l...more Being a GenMe myself, I was compelled to read this book. I thought Twinge would give me a good insight to why my generation act the way we do. Generation Me encompasses generations X, Y and Z. To her credit she does a great job at attempting to dissect our generation. I was shocked to read that most of what I thought were my own personal traits was just the outcome of my generation and that most people who were born from 1970-1990 had the same traits. As I read the first few chapters it seemed like Twinge was recapturing my childhood. However Generation Me slowly gets sloppy.

Twinge's research and facts are highly argumentative. In one instant, she explains how the baby boomers greatly valued approval from others. So much in fact that a study was done that asked a group of Boomers an obviously easy question but was purposely sabotaged by having fake consumers give the wrong answer. The outcome was that most Boomers would choose the wrong answer even though they were convinced it was wrong in fear what others would think of them if they individually went another direction. Doesn't this discredit all of Twinges research since she is doing a side by side comparison of the Boomers and GenMe generation, relying heavily on statistical data? Did she not just prove that Boomers are likely to be dishonest with research test because they feared what people would think? Yet, she uses nothing but figures of these test to prove her point. Really?

I also felt that Twinge took most of the book trying to prove her point with unrelenting statistical facts rather than discussing or explaining why GenMe are the way that they are. For example, chapter 4 discusses how Generation Me is more depressed than any other generation. Instead of explaining the "whys" she rambles on and on about percentages and research test that prove they are in fact more depressed. This is how much of the book is written.

When I came to the final chapter, "Applying Our Knowledge: The Future of Business and the Future of the Young" I was disgusted! Let me explain further.Generation Me brings to light how GenMe are more materialistic, narcissistic and less likely to take responsibility. We want everything and we want it now. So when I came to the part where Twenge suggest what society should do to correct things, I was flabbergasted that she suggest government subsidized child care. What!?!?!! She just got done explaining how our generation was severely misguided mostly from outside influences like schools, teachers, sports ect. Now she wants to continue that trend? Or how about when she argued our Generation doesn't take responsibility yet she thinks it's a great idea for parents to send their children off to daycare where someone else will take the responsibility in raising their children? For what? So that Generation Me can be free of childcare so they can focus on their dream? Not once did she ever mention about sacrifice. Maybe if one cant afford a condo in San Diego you should move somewhere that is more affordable. Or maybe we should give up "things" so that it would be possible for mothers to stay at home to raise their children. This would certainly give parents more control in what is being taught to their children. However, she doesn't mention any of this. She actually tries to argue that daycare is more stimulating for children.

She also suggest that 3 and 4 year old preschool should be included in the school system so parents wouldn't have to pay hundreds of dollars. Although I think this would be nice, I don't understand how our future children would be less like GenMe if they started school earlier. She claims that children that attend preschool are smarter. That's a pretty big claim to make with absolutely no information to back it up. Even if we were to pretend that statement to be true, what does that have anything to do with improving our generation or the future generations? Her book is labeled "Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled and More Miserable Than Ever Before". Not "Why Today's Young Americans Are Dumber Than Ever Before".

To summarize, I think Twinge brings to light some interesting theories of Generation Me. Despite her highly argumentative research, there is validity in what she says. However she fails miserable at how our generation might correct themselves. Dr. Jean M. Twenge is just another product of her own generation. (less)

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Feb 22, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: what-makes-us-tick

A data driven look at the trends in "Gen Me" or the Millennials. I found it fascinating to see a great deal of my behavior and beliefs reflected in the author's data. I wish that she would have spent a little bit more time on volunteerism, as that has been noted lately as another generationally driven change, but that view became popular (I believe) after this book was written. I am now prone to noticing the "Gen Me" attitude in even the most innocuous of statements.

The thing that annoyed me abo...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Jane rated it 4 of 5 stars

A interesting read about the differences between the generations, mainly between Baby Boomers and what the author calls Generation Me (Generation X, Y and Millennials). I am not sure that I agree with lumping all three together as I do think there are differences between Generation X, Y and Millennials. Twenge’s ideas do make sense however and I did see myself and my peers as well as younger people in her discussions. Because I grew up for the most part in the UK in the 70s and 80s, I don’t thin...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: melick

Very interesting read; I'm not a behaviorist and I don't usually read books discussing behavior and temperament and why certain people act a certain way, but this book intrigued me. I fall right in the middle of the generation Twenge is focusing on, and I could see more and more of myself in her research the more I read. Yes, my generation was raised on a "you can do anything and be anything you want" mentality. Yes, times are harder now; harder to land that dream job, harder to make ends meet....more

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Jul 24, 2011 Eva rated it 3 of 5 stars

A solid book about GenMe (born mid-70's to 90's) and how they compare to others, including Boomers.

Notes:

Characteristics and beliefs: individualistic, self as important, "do whatever makes you happy", "you can do anything", "follow your dreams", direct, rejecting social rules as constricting and fake, little notion of privacy and propriety (TMI), not deferential or impressed by authority, less religious, own personal moral/belief system...

"We speak the language of the self as our native tongue....more

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May 18, 2009 Corey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: psychology

According to research by Jean Twenge and other psychologists, today's young people are highly confident and have exceptional self-esteem, but they are also more anxious, depressed, and apathetic than any other generation in history. The reason appears to be trends in education and childrearing that emphasize self esteem, permissiveness, and excessive praise. These factors work together to create unrealistically high expectations that must inevitably clash with reality. Here's a representative fa...more

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title link	preview: Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled--and More Miserable Than Ever Before
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/273520.Generation_Me?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1361786829l/273520.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/273520.Generation_Me?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled--and More Miserable Than Ever Before by Jean M. Twenge[/url]

Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled--and More Miserable Than Ever Before

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