I'm doing readings for my health and wellness class. They're really boring. After all the rigorous psychology courses I've taken, this stuff is like going back to preschool...I could probably pass the quiz without doing them, but then, why get a C when you could get an A... =/
...Anyway, here's an article from the textbook that I thought was kind of...well, just read it. ;]
HEALTH HEADLINES
OVERDOSING ON SELF-ESTEEM?
Fostering self-esteem in children has been seen as key to keeping them away from drugs and violence and to ensuring well-adjusted lives. While it’s true people tend to thrive when praised for hard work and accomplishments, society is now seeing a possible downside to handing out trophies just for showing up.
There is a fine line between healthy self-esteem and vanity or narcissism, leading some to have an exaggerated self-image, a need for constant compliments, and a sense of feeling entitled to special treatment. In a study conducted on Facebook updates, it was found that extraverts more frequently post about their social activities, those with lower self-esteem tend to relay updates about romantic partners, and narcissists tend to share content about their achievements, diet, and exercise.
Call it the “soccer trophy effect” if you will, but it appears to have serious downsides. First, preliminary research indicates people who have been protected from failure (perhaps by well-meaning parents and teachers) and have extremely high levels of self-esteem might be more prone to anger, aggression, and other negative behaviors when others don’t praise them or meet their needs for instant gratification.
Second, learning to lose may teach us valuable lessons. Carol Dweck, a psychology professor at Stanford University, found that after a steady diet of praise, kids collapsed at the first experience of difficulty. Failure can teach us to keep trying—and that just showing up is not enough to excel in college or the subsequent work world; in real life, there are no participation ribbons.
Psychologists continue to support the idea that self-esteem is important for positive growth and development. More research is needed to examine potential risks of too much self-esteem and the best ways to deal with it once it occurs.
Sources: T. Marshall, K. Lefringhausen, and N. Ferenczi, “The Big Five, Self-Esteem, Narcissism as Predictors of the Topics People Write about in Facebook Status Updates,” Personality and Individual Differences 85 (2015): 35–40; C. Dweck, “Helping Kids Excel,” Scientific American 23 no. 80 (2015): www.nature.com/scientificamerican/journal/v23/n5s/full/scientificamericangenius0115-80.html; A. Diddaway and E. Rafestesder, “Agenda for Conceptualizing and Researching Praise and Criticism,” Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health 52, no.1 (2016): 99.