Department of Psychology Department of Psychology 
Generation ME
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Published in April 2006 by Free Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Article in USA Today http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-04-12-social-youth_x.htm
Book Release and Signing Party, April 8, 2006, Barnes & Noble at Grossmont Center
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Q&A with Jean M. Twenge
Were you one of those kids who said, “I'm going to write a book some day?”
I was! When I was 7 years old, I wrote my first “books” on pieces of typing paper, which I would then staple together with a construction-paper cover. Fortunately, Simon and Schuster (my publisher for Generation Me ) has somewhat higher production values!
How did the idea for your Blog come about?
I wanted to have a place where I could discuss news stories and other events that occurred after I was done writing the book. It was a way to extend the pleasure of writing the book – it was great to still have a place to analyze popular culture. I also wanted a record of the process of publishing a book – I learned so much about finding an agent, selling the proposal, getting permissions for illustrations, and the business of publishing that I wanted to share it with people. For example, authors are responsible for the book's illustrations, so I paid my own money to include a few Calvin & Hobbes and Doonesbury cartoons in the book – it literally went on my MasterCard. At least I got miles.
Has the Blog process generated any unexpected insights or surprises along the way?
It's been a great way to keep up with news stories that are relevant to the book, and I've been a little surprised by how often stories on generations have appeared over the last few months. Several recent books (like Strapped ) have addressed the economic problems of this generation, something I cover in Generation Me (in the chapter on depression and anxiety!) And there's a lot of interest in generations in business – people wonder what kind of employees Generation Me will make. So far, the answer is “entitled” – they want a lot, and fast.
As you have looked birth cohort differences in regards to self-esteem, which generation has shown the highest levels of self-esteem and has that correlated to greater happiness for that group?
The younger the generation, the higher their self-esteem. Young people now are much higher in self-esteem than their Baby Boomer parents were back in the 1970s. This has not led to happiness, however – anxiety and depression are also much higher than they used to be. Perhaps young people expect so much out of life that they are often disappointed.
In the book excerpt you talk about how expectations for Generation Me are out of alignment with reality, resulting in dissatisfaction….So, what's to be done to make it all line up?
There's a Barney (as in the annoying purple dinosaur) videotape called “You Can Be Anything!”, and this phrase appears in a lot of media for kids and adolescents. We should stop telling kids things like this (another offender is “Believe in yourself and you can do anything”). Although it's great for kids to aim high, parents and teachers should make sure that kids set realistic goals. Help them develop the talents they do have, while gently helping them realize that most people do not become famous or rich. It's possible to encourage kids without telling them that they can do or be anything.
What about feelings of powerlessness and lack of control, how do they fit into the dissatisfaction equation?
Generation Me is more likely to believe that things are out of their control – that what they do doesn't matter. They are also more likely to blame others for their problems. This can set them up for depression and low achievement. Adolescents in particular need to learn that their actions have consequences, and that trying hard can pay off.
Are there indications that parenting for Generation Me will include a de-emphasis on the self?
It doesn't look that way so far. Many young parents are going over the top decorating nurseries for their new arrivals, and the focus on “educational” tapes to stimulate development is very individualistic as well (kids might learn more from playing with each other!) Also, most young people take the focus on the self completely for granted and will pass it on to their kids without even questioning it.
What are you hoping readers will glean from reading your book and what action would you hope they would take as a result?
I hope people question the messages they hear in the media about the self – those things we take for granted like “You must love yourself first before you can love someone else,” or “I have to put myself first.” No, you don't. Yes, you should have your own goals, but this overwhelming focus on the self is unique for this place and time. I also hope that schools will stop emphasizing self-esteem so much – it's not doing any good, as high self-esteem does not cause good grades or good behavior. Instead, the empty self-esteem and narcissism encouraged by many self-esteem programs is likely to lead to negative outcomes like lack of empathy and aggression. Teach children self-control instead – teach them to control their impulses, and to persevere at difficult tasks like math problems.
