The Juvenalization of Western Culture (the Cult of Youth)

In their excellent book The Narcissism Epidemic, Jean Twenge and Keith Campbell (among many other things) discuss the symptoms of narcissism in America today.  One of them is vanity, which they discuss in chapter 9.  As one of part of this chapter suggests, “in pursuit of hotness” many people today do many things that were unheard of even 20 years ago.  A few examples they give are teeth-whitening, botox, cosmetic surgeries, hair extensions, tanning spray, eyebrow shaping, mud wraps, day spas, lip waxing, male moisturizers, and fitness coaches (just to name a few).  Why are people so obsessed with appearance? One reason is to boost self-esteem.  When asked why she tans, a high school girl said, “It makes me feel better about myself.  Right now, the idea of skin cancer doesn’t concern me.”  It goes as deep as parenting: some parents want their kids to look good so they help pay for tanning, cosmetic surgery, or other things listed above.  After all, a parent will have his/her self-esteem boosted if his/her child looks hot. Continue Reading>>>