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Have we become a narcissistic generation?

“What are you doing?” insert mundane task here

This one question lies at the core of any established social networking site. Yahoo, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter—all created with YOU in mind. Dedicated in promoting your interests, your dreams, your friends, and your personality. Observing this one question that is posed to me every time I log into one of these sites, raised another and more troubling question within me; am I a narcissist?

The full ramifications of popular social networking sites are still unclear, although some researchers have argued that the younger and tech savvy “Me” generation, who utilize these sites are a more confident and motivated group. Unfortunately this highly advanced and sophisticated generation does have its trade offs. With all these newfound pressures to portray a perfectly crafted online persona combined with a perfectionist mentality, in turn, has created a depressed and dangerously narcissistic youth.

The new “Me” generation is composed of young people from ages 7 to 36, which would put me directly grouped within this category.

I have a problem with this.

Yes I completely agree with the fact that access to the Internet and social networking sites has promoted the shameless promotion of the self. Yes I am guilty of this, I’m a Facebook junkie, I Tweet, and have my own blog for crying out loud. Still, even though this generation spends more time thinking about how many people will react to the cute but half-drunk picture just posted to their wall, rather than working on more important endeavors; I feel that this group of individuals has been a lot more successful then they’ve received credit for.

My mom likes to constantly remind me, and argue endlessly, that I am apart of this pool of offspring that is the “Me” generation, and how us young people are ungrateful or take things for granted.

Sure, it is hard for some to leave their protective cyber bubble for a few minutes to address real life problems and genuine concern for others. It’s easy to become wrapped up in your own life and forget the other 6.9 billion that occupy your world. But you can’t blame this narcissistic ignorance on a specific generation -–what it comes down to is society.

We are just mere reflections of the society that we live in. In essence, if your culture praises free enterprise, wealth, status, and beauty, then more often than not—you will begin to embody and pursue this individualistic course in life.

I am not a part of the “Me” cohort; I am a part of a “Me” society that has become America… but I’m trying to leave.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words..or Words Speak Action?

Do people actually mean what they say anymore? Or has social networking proved that words, not actions, or just enough to get by?

A million different things have been plaguing my mind lately, never resting, constantly zooming in and out of my mind at every hour of the day. I found that one question in particular has been a reoccurring theme within my daily anxieties that persist to manifest themselves into some compulsive cleaning, impulsive exercise, and mini melt downs. Although the house has been spotless, not to mention my car, driveway, closet (among many other things), the thought still continued to poke around in my conscious.

It happened when I woke up one morning, browsing through Facebook, eating my self made concoction of cinnamon oatmeal and Nutella, that I finally realized were this annoying thought/ feeling was coming from…words without any action or meaning behind them.

You have done it, we all have done it at some point in our lives, agreed to something or suggested something to someone we would never follow through with. Being both the giver and receiver of future actions never to be completed, I have come to realize that this has become increasingly acceptable…and even forgivable, especially if the talked about action is communicated through Networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook. For example, when a friend you have not spoken with for a while messages you on Facebook or MySpace asking you “why haven’t we hung out for so long? “Let’s do lunch sometime next week.” And you, having no idea what your work or school schedule will be like next week; still agree to it, realizing that even though your words agree to action, you are more than likely not going to honor the commitment you just made.

So why did you agree to this in the first place, when you knew that it probably was not going to happen? That is exactly my question. Where did backing up your words with genuine integrity disappear to? Is it the fact that social networking sites are so casual that no one really takes things seriously on them? Or is it the fact that it is way easier to be a flake, since you are not communicating with this person face to face? Either way the issue still remains, can you really trust the words your friends are typing to you on these sites, or should you only take them at face value?

Have networking sites condoned a society where action-less words and empty promises are forgivable? Have we become a society of flakes?