A Generation of Narcissists and Sociopaths

The world has never had a shortage of human monsters. Nor has it been devoid of selfish folks.

These days, though... We've got a surplus.

Kids are raised from birth, shooting faceless villains in the head from K through twelve. We've got a whole generation of trigger-pullers in the making.

But let's not be hasty here. The proliferation of video-games isn't going to turn us all into killers.

More-so, it just has a possibility of giving slight influence to someone who already had mental instabilities to begin with.

Then again, we're ALL fairly crazy these days. There is no normal. Everyone's either depressed, narcissistic, riddled with ADHD, or sociopathic.

Now, some of these folks can look forward to fruitful careers in the military and the police. Given power, most of them will sink themselves. Folks rise to their level of incompetency, and all that.

But to the others, the less fortunate, they'll be given jobs as office drones, McDonald's workers, mail-men, substitute teachers, baristas, hotel maids.

What does a generation, one raised on violence and love of one's self over all else, do when there's nothing to look forward to?

And people wonder why folks are snapping like twigs in the spokes of a bicycle...

a reply to: Grifter42

Wow man,

Everyone's either depressed, narcissistic, riddled with ADHD, or sociopathic.

Thats one depressing neighbourhood you live in

a reply to: Grifter42

We must ban video games to save our future!

I'll add more after I play some gta5.

I thought I was alone. I don't like my generation as a whole. Individually fine.

The facebook Like me, add me attitude turned many into movie stars. If it weren't for the segregation and other issues I'd go back to the 50s and say goodbye to the meme/oblivious generation.

Yes because the world has always had a shortage of crazies in the past...

Take a look at history, it is full of violence and craziness. I hate how everyone points their fingers at the flaws of the young ones instead of looking at how bad they have f-ed this world up.

Just because you grew up sheltered from the world around you it doesn't mean things are any worse than they have been. I'd say, given a look at history, we have a huge generation of peaceful citizens.

originally posted by: Grifter42
What does a generation, one raised on violence and love of one's self over all else, do when there's nothing to look forward to?

Well my daughter is working on her Master's degree in elementary education and her husband owns his own business (he has a business degree). I guess I just see a lot of kids doing their best in the world that previous generations shaped.

Blood, violence, gore, killing, shooting, raping, pillaging, and plundering all the time non-stop.

... and that's just the 6 o'clock news.

a reply to: Grifter42

A person now gets 20 times more information on a daily basis as to 20 years ago.

So maybe a cut back on the information in taking ?

a reply to: CranialSponge

Entitlement doesn't help. Most members of the previous generations realized if you need something you're better off working for it than sponging off someone else. I've noticed a lot of people my age just go with the flow and act completely programmed.

The attitude that people my age can solve the world's problems by being epic on social media makes me weep for the future. We're complacent, apathetic, dependent. It's a recipe for rot and it will not change for a long time. My generation is trapped and we dug a hole together. Wake up because too many are being oppressed.

I meant to make my point better, but I lost track of what I was doing and had to check my facebook.

Then, I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror, and thought, "Damn, I look good."

After that, I had to take my antidepressants, and forgot what I was talking about.

a reply to: Yeahkeepwatchingme

Us older generations are just as guilty as the ones that have come before AND after us. We're guilty of enabling this complacent entitlement society we are now all living in.

I'm not going to delude myself by pointing the finger at someone else.

We are ALL a part of the problem - we have ALL played our roles in this.

a reply to: CranialSponge

Exactly! The baby boomers fell into the trap too. But they were more aware of the world they live in. Today we have information constantly but it goes right through us.

Each generation was duped but ours is completely messed up. Usually we'll only stand up for a cause if it's already in the media. That's something that always got me.

Video games cause people to be killers? I need to see this scientific proof. Most people can differentiate between reality and fantasy. My two boys are 4 and 5 and they know this. I've played games since I was little and I haven't killed nobody and none of my gaming friends have either. I would be willing to bet that it may have something to do with all the head drugs given out these days.

a reply to: Elton
I don't think I could blame it on the previous generation. I blame it on the banks and wall street thugs for inflating everything and causing this cesspool of misery.

a reply to: Grifter42

Seriously? We needed an egoist backlash against all the long years of self-immolating puritans. In about two years, there's going to be a huge collective let down. It is already happening for some, and as they wake up to the cold hard facts, a generation of people who believed the world should be what they wanted it to be are going to start figuring out how to make it that way. That is when things'll get interesting I think. ;p

I just don't see it. I have three kids, ages 26, 21, and 19. They are not as described. Neither are their friends.
They are hard workers, they are not vain, they have healthy social lives, and stable long term relationships.
Two of them have a Facebook account, which is basically used to keep touch with their american family members only.
They were exposed to video games just as much as anyone else. Still play once in a while.

But overall, they seem much more balanced than I and my entourage were at their age! Bunch of X gen'ers, we were doing drugs, drinking, spending our time at punk rock gigs or giant wild parties....relationships were unstable and unconstructive, we had all these issues with our parents, who were in the majority, absentees.
We'd work, but crappy jobs, for short periods of time....we had no plans for the future, no hope in it....hey, it sounds like you were describing MY generation!

The kids today are so much more aware of social issues, and appreciate the value of solidarity. They have creative minds that can process more information than we could at their age. A few years back, when travelling with our kids, it was funny to have our youngest act as a tour guide in Italy, describing the places and their history, when he'd never been there! How did he know so much? Video games.

I am not so pessimistic. I see potential. I like young people in general and love watching their minds grow.
If you are young yourself and feel this discouraged, perhaps that is just a sign of your own social conscience.
We were A holes and never reflected on that at all.

a reply to: Grifter42

Yes, it is. And it's getting ever more apparent, sadly.

a reply to: Grifter42

There are, however, some very good people out there who go out of their way to help others.