Bloated Self Image = Generation ME

The “millennials” — or those born between 1982 and 2002 — have been so “spoiled by parents who overstoked their self-esteem, teachers who granted undeserved A’s and sports coaches who bestowed trophies on any player who showed up” ... they won’t be able to handle the demands of the working world, especially during a recession. ..(sic) NY times, June 2011

Are you a guilty parent who form part of creating these "gremlins"; or do you, yourself, belong to this era of bloated self-esteem individuals, who think they can take on anything in the world without experiencing any pain or failure, ONLY because they can copy and paste, self-love themselves on their iPhones and use their beautiful faces as wallpapers?

I grew up making mistakes and being told constantly it was a mistake; when I pushed my luck, being punished for that mistake.  My parents taught me the value of integrity, unwavering faith, perseverance, resilience and that not everything is going to be handed over to me in a silver plate.  They allowed me to fail and nurtured me when I got back on my feet.  
However, in this self-indulgent times, I shudder at the thought of growing up with constant praise and materialistic entitlement.  I did not even think of myself as a stunner or pretty.  I wanted to be seen as smart and witty and generally knowledgeable. I wanted to be recognized for what I can do not how I can look on digital photoshop picture that will be the flag of my social network site.   I always believed that unless there was innate goodness in your heart, you did not deserve to live in a castle and kiss your Prince Charming.
Maybe it's just me, but this generation of "millennials" lack of humility and total irreverence is rather appalling, albeit it may be too soon to gauge their incapability to handle crisis situations and dire times, it worries me that their deeply rooted narcissism may get in the way of their capacity to rise above difficulties.  
However, is it their fault or have you heard of these affluent parents of the generation Me whose graduation presents range from cosmetic surgery to body sculpting coupons in 6 digits?  Well yes, we have created a bunch of self-confident kids whose self-indulgence is rapidly rising, but what happens if Daddy and Momma misses a beat?  I have particularly noticed behaviours of the Generation ME to range from the discourteous, to the the downright disastrous and somewhere in between.the "I am Special" and "Cocky as can be".  

I always declare to this date that I am a work in progress, but these kids push me aside to tell me in my face, well I have completed the work, you slow bitch!  I remember the days when no matter how you were raised there was the Hubris principle and on top of that, you get introduced to real life when it slaps you in the face, and things get real, as in REAL.  
It saddens me now, today, that "Narcissism" is a way of life and to behave differently and hold onto traditional values make you look like a pussy or to a lesser degree, a loser.  Selfishness is the name of the game:  "It's mine." "I was here first." "It's all about me." In order to make it to the top, crush your competitors (any which way you can, no rules and boundaries) and be America's or Britain's Next Top Model or something. 

We taught this Generation ME how to dream, the limitless possibilities in the universe, not to have any self-doubt in pursuit of what they can become.  But we should have also reminded them a bit to put their self-worth to a reality check; acquire a bit of humility and sensibility; failures are attendant to savour the sweetness of success, and a certain mindfulness that perhaps the world does not revolve around them. More importantly, it takes a certain selflessness to understand the real meaning of what have become almost elusive to them, life and love.