Today's College Students More Likely to Lack Empathy

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Without empathy for fellow man, is our society much more than animals?

James L of TX 2:30PM August 22, 2010

It's competitive to get into the best universities...competitive to get a job....competitive for many reasons. There are fewer and fewer jobs and an increasing number of people. Which do you think is going to take a back seat...1) empathy for your fellow man or 2) personal ambitions ? Empathy will probably lose that battle 9 out of 10 times.

bill j. of CA 8:24PM June 11, 2010

People can preach about empathy, morales, values, etc, etc...but when it comes down to it, quite a few (dare I say many) people are cut-throat with their drives and ambitions particularly when it comes their own financial goals. A few people start doing this and the ones that were "stepped on" want to retaliate and it becomes a viscous competitive circle.
Hiring employers do not tell candidates that were turned down that they can also "win" by filling the next available opportunity. They basically hire one "winner" and the rest are left hanging. It's a hyper-competitive world and it's competitive to find a job... The college kids are just adjusting to societies' increasing expectations in preparation for the working world. Don't blame them for this...look other places to find your scapegoat.

bill j. of CA 8:07PM June 11, 2010

Working in education for 30 years, this is the first time I've not had much hope for the future. This generation is remarkably self-absorbed. So much so that they think they can bluster their way to A-grades, even though they do not have proficiency in the material. Instances of cheating have increased in my school to such a degree we had to form a committee to handle the problem. Parents tend to side with their children in these cases, even though we have caught cheating with their phones and students who have paid strangers to take an exam for them. International students have better English skills now than domestic students. A lot of my students cannot perform basic math problems without a calculator. And when I say basic, I mean calculate change from a $20. These are students who will be building our bridges, performing our surgeries, flying our airplanes - do we really want them there via shortcut?

Abbie Starr of GA 4:52PM June 07, 2010

In college, and for that matter in our world today - one needs to be ruthless to succeed. If a person accepted the increase of media coverage(3x) and got all bleeding heart about it, they would probably have breakdown and drop out - opting to smoke pot in their parents basement instead of trying to climb any ladders - corporate, entrepreneurial or otherwise.
I think - and this is just me, that youth today is circumventing the Naive stage and getting down to the nitty gritty that is - the world is a rough place and you have to be rough back, or it will chew you up and spit you out...
Its easy to ride under the cover of ones parents, especially if they have achieved any mark of success. I am Generation ME.
I have just graduated, and despite the poor state of things in the world, I am more interested in doing my part to join the working force in this country, hopefully someday as a sole proprietor of a small business- Than I am in joining the Peace Corp. - So shoot me - I'll shoot back.
Follow me on Twitter: Yeti_

Nick of KY 7:54AM June 04, 2010

I agree.....but I also think that parents trying to be "friends" instead of parents as well as allowing the TV, video games, etc. to become "babysitters" for their children accounts for a lot of it. Two working parents, not at home when their children come home from school.....families not sitting down to meals together etc. has caused a breakdown in the family unit which is where kindness, empathy, etc. is taught......very sad.

Joan M of MI 9:57AM June 02, 2010

Unfortunately, I've seen this self-centeredness first hand with the young people in my own family. It is truly sad that they can't seem to see the other person's point of view and how unreasonable they are behaving. All that matters is that they get their way. Regrettably, I think we are all to blame for this younger generations attitude. We wanted them to have everything that we didn't have and we've ended up spoiling them to the point that they don't want to WORK for things...they expect everything to be given to them. After college or highschool, they want the BIG job in the corner office...without having to work their way up. They have NO patience. Everything has to happen NOW. Perhaps recognizing the problem is the first step in solving it.

Ana of NM of NM 12:01PM June 01, 2010

who told the college students that they need to be focused on their schoolwork and that they would not get a job out of college without more degrees.. society makes people this way and it is ridiculous
i think the older generations need to examine the influence that they had on the younger generations instead of always pointing to the media. Even if the media does have a much larger effect on young minds than it used to.

burt of NE 10:27AM June 01, 2010

'Generation Me' - Society has created these monsters.... they are void of a normal connection with God, Family and Others. They don't know how to relate. Sad.

Karen of NJ 8:41AM June 01, 2010

With all the social programs in force that say that test scores don't really count, it is a wonder that a high-school graduate can use basic math skills needed for everyday life. Then they go to college. Very impressive to say the least. Empathy takes a certain level of brain power that the present-day students seem to lack. But what do I know, I'm only a 250 pound human.

Robert L. Matarainen of NY 11:22PM May 31, 2010