Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
essay about affluenza
afffuenza in todays society
affluenza in the united states
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: essay about affluenza
Sixteen year old, Ethan Couch is sentenced to ten years of probation, after stealing beer from Wal-Mart, driving with three times the legal blood alcohol level, with six passengers, and then killing four people in a car crash. He pleaded guilty, claiming that his affluent raising which lacked limits led to his ‘affluenza’ impairing him to discern right and wrong. Many are infuriated that this teen is getting away with these inexcusable actions because of the resources his family has. The Couch’s were able to afford an excellent attorney that helped Ethan get let off easy. There should be justice in this country, unaffected by affluence and privilege. Four people died in this tragedy, a lady with a flat tire, and three ‘good Samaritans’ who came to help. They all died that day, and one of Couch’s passengers is paralyzed and unable to speak, and others are severely injured. This sad story is a real-life example of the false sense of entitlement which young people today hold. Governor Chris Christie believes that “Today, the biggest challenge we must meet is the one we present to ourselves. To not become a nation that places entitlement ahead of accomplishment. To not become a country that places comfortable lies ahead of difficult truths.” This statement perfectly sums up what the United States is facing in present day. In society today, young people have a sense of entitlement; they believe that they are special and should be treated accordingly. This is caused by the style of parenting that they were raised by, as well as the constant positive reinforcement they received all through school. Parents have sheltered their children, and choose to intervene in their kids’ lives instead of having them learn how to deal wi... ... middle of paper ... ...A Framework for." MNCAT. N.p., 2012. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. Trzesniewski, Kali H., M. Brent Donnellan, and Richard W. Robins. "Do Today's Young People Really Think They Are So Extraordinary?: An Examination of Secular Trends in Narcissism and Self-Enhancement." Psychological Science 19.2 (2008): 181-88. Print. Twenge, Jean M. Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled- and More Miserable Than Ever Before. New York: Free Press, 2006. Print. Vogel, Carl. "A field guide to narcissism: but enough about me ... what do you think of me? We think we can spot a narcissist--the cartoonish self-absorption, the cast-iron sense of pride and entitlement. Scratch the surface, though, and you find surprises: alluring charm, charisma--and radical insecurity." Psychology COllection Infotrac. Gale Cengage Learning, Jan. 2006. Web. 26 Nov. 2013
According to Webber, narcissists are normal people victimized by “an overused label”; in fact, narcissists have healthy egos who “happen to indulge in the occasional selfie, and talk about their accomplishments” (Webber 54). She strategically organizes the quotes of many experts to give a more favourable sense of the word, clarifying that narcissism not only makes people feel good about themselves, but it also boosts confidence and helps individuals “take risks, like seeking a promotion or asking out an attractive stranger” (Webber 55). She also makes the persuasive point that individuals are more narcissistic in their earlier years of adulthood, making an ethical observation that “young adulthood is a time when people are largely free of responsibilities, either to their family of origin or the family they will eventually establish” (Webber 60, 61). These are the times when people are free to pursue an independent life and make independent decisions without the restraints of family to hold them back. Although narcissism is a natural part of an individual’s personality, Webber does point out that, too much of it can become a
In recent times, it has become very evident that wealth plays a major factor in the judicial system. There have been many cases that display the wealthy being given less of a punishment than the lower classes. In one particular case a teen, Ethan Couch, was driving under the influence after stealing beer from Walmart and he swerved off road, killing four pedestrians. The judge sentenced him to 10 years’ probation; this outraged many people because the usual punishment is a life sentence. Mr. Couch claims he suffers from “Affluenza”, which is a psychological problem that is caused by children being extremely privileged. Ethan Couch should not have received probation because of his family’s status, because he was driving under the influence,
Today, our culture demands us to be perfect, thin, powerful, successful, smart, extraordinary, but when people begin to try achieving them, we start labeling them as narcissists. The problem is that it is impossible for anyone to please everyone. Brown defines narcissism as simply a “fear of never feeling extraordinary enough to be noticed, to be lovable, to belong, or to cultivate a sense of purpose” (22). Before giving out labels, it is wise to practice asking ourselves questions to clear the intentions and reasons of someone’s behavior. For example, teenagers posting pictures of themselves online to gain some attention reveals that the culture has taught them that they are as lovable as the number of likes and comments they get on social media. Negative feedback roots into negative thinking about vulnerability and causes them to shut themselves down and never show their real selves again. Encouraging others to believe that they are perfect as themselves, will plant a positive attitude in them and push them to pursue their goals and visions to fulfill their dream of a happy
“Narcissistic Personality Disorder.” Cleveland Clinic. The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. N.P., 20 May 2005. Web. 19 May 2010.
An unfortunate development in the past few years is the social construct that the future generation is steadily becoming more selfish and vain. Likely originating from the countless “selfies,” or pictures of oneself, being taken by teenagers and young adults, adults of the last generation seem to be under the impression that the Millennials in line to take power will have more priorities meant to benefit the individual rather than the population as a whole. Thankfully, they are mistaken. Still, though, it is a problem that the line between self-confidence and narcissism has become so thin that we can no longer be one without the other. General impressions of the words have been passed down through the years, and unfortunately both have become so watered down that they seem basically the same. So what is the difference between confidence and narcissism?
The case that we will be looking at throughout this paper is that of ‘Joe’ (name changed to so that he/she may remain anonymous. Joe has what is diagnosed by clinicians as narcissistic personality disorder. According to the DSM – IV –TR, this is characterized by ‘a pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration and lack of empathy, beginning by early adult and present in a variety of contexts.’ The DSM lists nine criteria and Joe must exhibit 5 or more of them to be diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder. The first one is Joe has a grandiose sense of self-importance. He is always assuring himself that his needs come before anyone else’s and that he should be recognized for all of his achievements, large or small, in his life. The second characteristic that Joe displays is being preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, and beauty. He believes that he is the most attractive male of all of his peers and strives to attract as many women as he can and to have a sexual relationship with all of them. He sees no flaws in himself and cannot begin to understand why every woman is not attracted to him. The third characteristic that Joe displays of narcissistic personality disorder is that he lives with a sense of entitlement. He believes that everyone should think the way that he does and the he has the answer to ever problem. The fourth characteristic seen in Joe is that he lacks empathy, showing now sense of understanding towards other’s sorrow. Lastly, Joe is
When one speaks of narcissism, often the image of a self-absorbed and self-aggrandizing, but overly sensitive person comes to mind. Some features of a narcissistic personality may make it seem like having confidence, however, it crosses the border from healthy confidence to putting yourself on a pedestal. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) people who suffer from the pathological form of narcissism, Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), possess an exaggerated sense of importance, believe they are superior or special, expect special treatment, and/or set goals based on obtaining approval from others. The criteria for NPD includes a sense of entitlement, lack of empathy, and a need for personal gain
It is a fact that many human beings nowadays, or more specifically, those growing up under the influence of the American dream, have an attitude of entitlement. This directly relates to the idea that the world owes these individuals something. Often, one may find themselves taking things for granted and expecting things at no cost – all descriptions of the ordinary lives of many Americans. It may be true, that a sense of entitlement is naturally distilled into young children, and we may even be breeding human beings to have this element condensed into them at a young age. Children grow up with a sense of entitlement. We know what they want, when they want it. This further continues through a child’s life
In the article "Hunting for Hope in Modern America," Jeffrey Bosworth says "you're screwed" to provide a negative view on the world and presents that things are becoming easier to do, rather than Millennials having to truly work for what they are getting. In this article, Bosworth implies that Millennials' sense of entitlement is their own fault due to the fact that many make excuses and just barely do enough to get themselves by. Similarly, in the article "Preparing Students for the New Reality," Donald S. Miller and Thomas E. Slocombe explain the extent of entitlement of Millennials by referring to them as "Generation Me." They reveal that "...many students are unconcerned [and] feel their qualifications are above average." At the same time that Miller and Slocombe are presenting that Millennials are entitled due to their idealistic expectations, Bosworth is displaying his same belief by showing different reasoning in how Millennials are coming up with excuses, proving their
In Jean Twenge’s novel titled, “Generation Me”, she describes “Generation Me” as a group of self-obsessed, overconfident, assertive, miserable individuals. “Gen-Me” cares about what other people think so much they 'll go to great lengths to “impress” their peers. Self-obsession can be viewed as a sickness of the mind. The average person may be oblivious to the fact that 1 out of 6 people are narcissists. “Narcissism falls along the axis of what psychologists call personality disorders, one of a group that includes antisocial, dependent, histrionic, avoidant and borderline personalities. But by most measures, narcissism is one of the worst, if only because the narcissists themselves are so clueless.” - Jefferey Kluger
Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2009). The narcissism epidemic: Living in the age of entitlement. Simon and Schuster.
Entitlement is the greatest problem facing today’s generation and should be fixed by educating parents of the importance of giving criticism to their children and teaching the children great responsibility and good work habits that may influence their decisions later on in their lives. Major problems of today’s generation are laziness, disrespectfulness, and self entitlement. Laziness is the quality of being unwilling to work or use energy. Disrespectfulness is the quality of being disrespectful. Self entitlement is when one believes that they have a right to something. There are many names for today’s generation. For example, the “me, me, me” generation or the millennials.
Following the publication of the book The Analysis of the Self, Heinz Kohut created a revolutionary theory to represent a new branch of psychoanalysis: self-psychology (O'Leary, Trumpeter, Watson, & Weathington, 2008). The idea of self-psychology is based on a series of adaptations made within adolescence following a general pattern. Firstly, the child must develop the “self”, which consists of the child’s feelings and thoughts on the surrounding environment. Born with a “nuclear self”, children are exposed to a “virtual self” presented by the parental figures. To achieve proper stability and structure, children need to first become narcissistic to develop a sense of worth and permanence, giving way to the “grandiose self” (Banai, Mikulincer, & Shaver, 2005). Kohut proposed the idea of adaptive narcissism (positive) and maladaptive narcissism (negative), two forms of the same narcissistic tendencies (O'Leary, Trumpeter, Watson, & Weathington, 2008).
Here’s a question, how often do you check your social media profile’s notification? Based on a research conducted, it is revealed that, Facebook users around the world logged into their account approximately 42,000 years of human time each day (Gutierrez, 2013). An article written by The New York Times stated that the current generations are becoming narcissistic and it is believed that social media are among the plausible factors that promotes it (Quenqua, 2013). However, how true can this statement be? Many researches have proven that social media is not the main cause of narcissism. It has been demonstrated via the real role of social media, the co-relation between social pressure and narcissism, the failure to conclude acceptance of criticism instead of narcissism, the current generation trend and the real problem of narcissism.
Robbins & Judge (2009) describe narcissism as an individual “who has a grandiose sense of self-importance, requires excessive admiration, has a sense of entitlement, and is arrogant.” Poet Tony Hoagland brought up a valid observation in the textbook about the American culture