I was reading yesterday afternoon in RELEVANT Magazine a little paragraph on snobbery. Apparently, a recent study by some pshychologists at San Diego State University has found that college students today are 30 percent more into themselves than college students 24 years ago. The professor leading the study says that “people exhibiting this self-centered attitude are more likely to have short relationships and practice infidelity, dishonesty and even violence.” He also believes that recent trends like MySpace and YouTube have helped to encourage this attitude of “It’s all about me.”

I haven’t done any scientific study on the matter, but I definitely believe that we live in a culture that finds it difficult to look outside of one’s own little world. After hearing stories of prom, parents, potential colleges and future mates from one of my seniors, I relayed to one of my girlfriends that it’s extremely challenging to live as a teenager today with an other’s first mindset, much less a life that bows to the authority of Christ. It’s all about “Pick me, choose me, love me!” (in the words of Meredith Grey on Grey’s Anatomy). How am I going to get noticed? How am I going to feel? How am I going to succeed? And if IT (whatever it may be) doesn’t benefit me the way I see fit, I don’t want any part of it. No wonder we’re growing up lazy people with poor work ethic, seeing relationships (both romantic and platonic) fizzle due to lack of excitement, and find it hard to trust people’s authenticity! MySpace is all about getting the most “friends,” whether you really have a true relationship with them or not (just focus on getting the highest number), YouTube’s theme is “Broadcast Yourself,” and then there are these silly blogs that are a platform to share personal thoughts, stories, and opinions to immediate friends, family, and the world.

So how do we break down these narcissistic walls to begin fully delighting in the Lord (Psalm 37:4), working with all our hearts as working for the Lord and not men (Colossians 3:23), putting to DEATH whatever belongs to our selfish nature (Colossians 3:1-10), and clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, thankfulness, wisdom, and love (Colossians 3:12-17)? Choose to be backwards from the ideas of the world! It doesn’t mean you can’t love technology and embrace the newest trends… but, for heaven’s sake… there’s more going on than just YOU! (A phrase commonly heard by me from my mother as I continue to grow up.)