A recent study analyzed data about 14,000 college students collected over 30 years. The shocking findings: today’s college students are 40 percent lower in empathy than students from 20 or 30 years ago.
Read Empathy: College students don’t have as much as they used to, on Newswise.com.
Link submitted by a Lovefraud reader.
Interesting article, and a subject that I’ve been considering for the past 6 years, or so.
When I returned to college the second time, I saw some of the most disturbing behaviors among my fellow students of “appropriate” ages (17-30) that included all-out disrespect for their professors, text messaging during lectures, arriving late for class and disrupting lectures/demonstrations without a qualm, and general meanness towards other students.
There also seemed to be a pervasive undercurrent of domestic violence among the teenagers. There were often verbal assaults on the campus, as well as physical fights, especially among young women. This, among other things, was absolutely disgusting to me to watch these outrageous catfights between college students, and usually over some BOY (not man).
There was a general attitude of “entitlement” among most of the students. The majority (60%) were attending college via grants and special programs due to their ethnic background, entrance scores, and other criteria.
To make this last observation very clear, we were not eligible for any financial aid and, as a result, WERE supposedly eligible for the campus “book share” program: students who were not receiving financial aid could borrow the books for the semester and return them, in good order, rather than spend 600+ for the required book scam.
While sitting in the office of this progam director, she glanced at her computer screen, looked at my spouse and me, looked back at the screen and then announced that we were NOT eligible for the book share program, either. When asked why we weren’t, the explanation nearly knocked us out of our seats. “You both scored too high on the entrance exams, and you don’t mee ‘other criteria,'” was her verbatim explanation.
Entitlement. Violence. (sigh) And, it seems that it’s only getting worse.
I scored 87% (61 out of 70) which made me more empathic than around 90% of college students. =)
Joran Van Der Sloot has been arrested in Chile, and his hair is the same orange color that Scott Peterson’s was when he got picked up.
What’s up with the orange hair on these sociopathic killers?
Is that supposed to be a disguise of some kind?
I’ve seen all the interviews with him, even the secret one made in the car where he “confesses” and of course changes his story once again! Yea, this guy is a Scot/Drew Peterson CLONE. I hope they catch him, Peru may not be quite a happy for him as Aruba was. How is this piece of dog doo affording to GLOBE TROT? Daddy’s money, huh?
Well, I hope they nail his butt this time, maybe daddy’s money can’t bail his sorry butt out this time.
CNN Headline News just labeled Joran Van Der Sloot a very dangerous psychopath & anti-social personality, because of the rage and violence that was taken out on this 21 year-old girl in Peru.
I guess this poor girl was beaten and mutilated beyond recognition.
Apparently, that’s what it takes for the media to say the word “Psychopath”.
This perception that Psychopath = Serial Killer needs to change, because it’s obviously too late to call him a “dangerous psychopath” now.
At least it is for the 2 girls who have been killed and their families.
There are “dangerous psychopaths” taking out their rage and aggression on their innocent children, family members, and co-workers as we speak.
Just because they are not killing in the physical sense does not mean the devastation is any less.
These psychopaths are killing the souls of their children, and what they could have grown up to be.
They are in our churches with sinister agendas, and in our corporations and government promoting a culture of corruption.
For some reason, we are willing to overlook the COVERT violence, and only recognize the OVERT violence as that of a psychopath.
This infuriates me….and saddens me.
It’s going to take A LOT of work to educate the public, and change the perceptions that are entrenched in society regarding personality disorders.
A brief comment… I think the media desensitizes young people today. They see so many shocking things in the media.. think about it.. what truly is shocking anymore?
If everything is normal, then what would cause a person to empathize with others painful situations?
Remember September 11th? I recall watching so much news that when they were showing people jumping to their death to avoid burning to death, my brain did not register what I was looking at as disturbing at first. Then, suddenly, I realized the horror of what I was seeing.
Also… cell phones. Cell phones breed Narcissism. It’s all about ME and MY VERY IMPORTANT CALLS! Never mind you, stranger, enjoying your shopping time or day at the park… it’s all about ME ME ME ME ME! What was that? I’m sorry.. I was just getting a text here… it’s says “what are you doing?” I need to answer that…”Nothing.. what are you doing?” Okay.. now what were you saying about your best friend dying? I’m all ears! Wait hang on…. text… text… text.
These are some great comment’s and insights form you lady’s, I agree so much with aloha on the cell phones, I once had to listen to a woman screaming for a divorce because her husband bought a new car without asking her, and this was at walmart while I was grocery shopping. And living in a college town I see so many young airheads texting and and driving exspensive cars that daddy’s money is paying for. I get alot of attitude or totally ignored from young college age kids because my hair is white and I am nothing but an old man to these overindulged gumchewing bleached blondes driving bmw’s and lexus’ AND HUMMER’S, I have been behind them at sonic and they pay for a drink with a credit card. Ocassionally I drive thru campus and the majority of them guys and girls are walking around texting or on cell phones. It’s not just college age kid’s either its pre-teens and grade schoolers..they dont notice anything around them, head down texting..I know I am ranting on like the old white haired man that I am but what has happened and what will it be like 50 years from now?
And yes Ox is right on! about Vanderslut and Daddy’s money, I just bet ya daddy knew he was guilty all the time……
And Rosa I see young kids being verbaly abused and neglected all the time by parents that have no business raising a dog let alone a human baby…I was thinking the other day when I do meet someone that seem’s to be a genuine good person and they give me honest good vibes I appreciate that moment with them so much, even if it was just a howdee do and I never see them again it is a good moment…
Rosa…
I noticed the orange buzz cut hair too! I thought….dude….if your hair is that short….you ain’t hiding w/o a wig.
It didn’t sound as if he thought anyone was looking for him, judging by his chit chat with the cabbies who eventually recognized him. He was freely telling them he was from Aruba blah, blah, me, me…..
I also heard the psychs talking about personality disorders and was glad Nancy grace didn’t shut them down!
The one thing is……news has to be sensationalized…..
Our stories wouldn’t make it on the evening news or CNN unless it was a murder or such……and there is so much of this killiing crap going on that it fills the air waves…..and the minutes up…….
if they had no news to speak about……then yes, they would do a story about one of ‘our’ abuses and travesties…..and HOW we made it oiut alive…..but that is not NEAR as rating qualifying as if we were killed and how we were killed.
I’m thankful the words are coming out…….it’s a good start, although I wish it was applied more to the non murdering types.
I’ve got to go……i’m coloring my hair orange and trimming it short tonight!
His orange hair will match the orange jumpsuit. 🙂
He could not have planned that one any better…