There was a short but interesting article in Time about how Thai psychologists believe the selfie-obsessed youth of the country are going to eventually bring the country down. These psychologists cite the fact that, when these young people post selfies and don't get enough positive feedback for them, they go into a downward spiral. They post more pictures and still do not receive the reaction they are seeking. And so it goes.
[For those of you wondering, "selfie" is the word for a photograph taken by oneself of oneself.]
It's a law of diminishing returns, isn't it? The more crap you post on your Facebook page, the less people will read or respond. They'll just start skimming and scrolling by.
And then, too, with everyone being so self- (and selfie-) centered, no one is thinking of promoting others; everyone wants to star in their own life movie. They want the kudos but don't want to offer anything in return.
I don't know if it's a stretch to say this behavior will bring down a country, but it's certainly not good for society. Look at the kids who grew up being told they were special, that they could all get a trophy just for showing up . . . Then they get into the workplace and don't understand why they're expected to actually do the work and get it right, or why they can't just get promoted because they want it. They don't understand merit.
And yes, these are the same kids that now take a ton of pictures of themselves and post them on Facebook and Tumblr and Instagram and think the whole world is watching them and taking note. It's fine so long as their hundreds or thousands of "friends" (or are they "fans"? these days it seems like that's what most people keep friends for: to make them feel like a star) keep feeding their egos, but what happens if/when no one does?
Well, if the Thai psychologists are right, as these young people's egos deflate, our society collapses with them. Hmm.
Maybe it's time to start managing these kids' expectations.
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