In Greek mythology, Narcissus was a young man who fell in love with the reflection of his own image and, as the story goes, spent so long looking at himself that he starved to death. New research indicates that our generation is following in Narcissus’ very footsteps.

Jean Twenge, associate professor of psychology at San Diego State University, along with researchers from the University of Georgia, the University of Michigan and the University of South Alabama, examined the results of 1.3 million personality surveys taken by college students over the last 25 years and came to the conclusion that the current generation is the most self-centered in history.

Narcissism — which Dictionary.com defines as “inordinate fascination with oneself” — has a long history, and Sigmund Freud believed that a reasonable amount of vanity is an essential part of maturation. But now, according to Twenge, we may be experiencing a generational epidemic.

In her book “Generation Me: Why Today’s Young Americans are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled — and More Miserable Than Ever Before,” Twenge examines generational differences in self-esteem, individualism, anxiety and sexuality. She started writing the book as an undergraduate at the University of Chicago when she realized that many of her friends had registered scores on personality tests that were different than those predicted by 1970s test manuals.

According to Twenge, “Generation Me” (anyone born between 1970 and 1999) has grown up believing that the individual should come first. This is in direct contrast to the post-World War II “Baby Boomer” generation that was much more group-centric.

The trend towards narcissism is both a positive and a negative one, according to Twenge, who said this generation is more accepting of personal freedoms, more tolerant and more opportunistic. This new, self-centered mentality leads to higher self-esteem but also can result in higher levels of anxiety, cynicism and loneliness, Twenge said.

“Generation Me” is characterized by high expectations, Twenge said, and these feelings can sometimes lead to harmful conflicts between expectations and reality. Members of this conflicted generation are often disappointed by adulthood, she has observed.

“Now expectations are so much higher while reality is so much tougher as far as economics and competition,” Twenge said. “Narcissism is also correlated with savoring short term relationships, which might explain the rise of ‘hook-ups’ on college campuses as opposed to boyfriend-girlfriend relationships.”

Twenge said the rise of narcissism is responsible for an increasing desire for fame, a trend that explains the recent societal infatuation with fads like “American Idol,” reality TV and YouTube.

“With this generation, self-esteem is higher, narcissism is higher, people are more likely to go against social rules, sexual morality is a lot looser than it used to be, all because people are doing what is right for ‘me,’” she said.

The study has prompted psychologists to urge caution before drawing broad conclusions, however. Stanford professor of psychology Benoit Monin was somewhat ambivalent regarding Twenge’s findings.

“One shouldn’t make too much about the actual numbers given by the scale in the sense that they tell you of an absolute level of narcissism,” he said in an email to The Daily. “The change is extremely interesting, should be reported and should prompt further research into its causes and consequences — but [...] the change is relative, and it is slightly misleading to reflect it as a qualitative change from ‘not narcissistic’ to ‘narcissistic.’”

According to Monin, the fact that the study centers on the narcissism of students fits with common attitudes towards younger generations.

“It fits with [older] readers’ stereotypes and prejudice about young people being arrogant and self-absorbed,” Monin said. “Saying this was observed in students doesn’t mean it would not have been observed in other groups as well [had they been surveyed]. This is the common oversight of lacking a control group. [...] Because the study surveyed students, the media thinks that it proves what we knew all along about students.”

“Anytime a finding makes the headlines you have to wonder why people are picking it up, and I think in this case it’s because older readers can feel confirmed in their suspicion that students feel too entitled and arrogant,” he added.