Once upon a time, a group of animals met in the forest to discuss their importance. The lion bragged about its strength, the peacock showed off its feathers, and the fox boasted about its knowledge. But the mosquito interrupted, “You all may be great, but I am the most important. I can make a mighty lion and a proud peacock dance to my tune with just one bite!”. And with that, the egoistic mosquito flew away, leaving the other animals scratching their heads.

“Me Generation” is а type of social behavior that has been present among the human race for ages. This behavior can lead to individualism in society, selfishness, and loneliness, also has negative consequences on social relationships and can create conflicts between individuals.  Although it is defined as a rooted problem there is a remedy called altruism. By promoting altruism in ways such as education from an early age, social pressure, and volunteerism the problem can be solved.

First I will explain the causes and consequences of Me Generation, and then I will suggest ways to find a suitable solution.

Egoism is not a new phenomenon; it has been around for over 2000 years. There is a line in The Bible that says “people who are self-centered aren’t able to please God”. Maybe it is passed on by our ancestors, or it is a mental health issue, we’ll never know. We are becoming experts in the art of self-importance from an early age, but where are the social caring and social responsibilities? However, many people took egoism as a badge of honor, and the term became associated with a sense of empowerment and self-expression. Yes, it is important to look after you, to take care of your own interests and desires, but we need to start thinking about society as a whole. The rise of social media has contributed to the result of egoism in modern times. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter prioritize individual self-promotion over collective well-being and social responsibility. It has built up the “Me Generation” mentality, as people strive to show their uniqueness in the online space. The constant pressure to present a perfect image of you can lead to an egoistic focus on the self, but remember Robert Half once said “An Ego trip is a journey to nowhere”. Egoism causes individualism in society. It is a fact that egoism affects society in negative ways. People follow their goals without considering the needs of others. By acting selfish, we make social issues such as poverty, inequality and homelessness even bigger. Egoism can have negative consequences on social relationships. As individuals prioritize themselves above everything else, it leads to a lack of trust and communication breakdowns. Moreover, egoism can lead to conflictsand competition among individuals, which can result in a total absence of social cohesion.

To start solving the problem of the Me Generation it is necessary to promote a culture of community building, helping others, and being kind. Altruism is exactly the solution to this massive problem. Altruistic acts can foster trust between individuals, which can build stronger communities. Moreover, altruistic acts can fix social issues, such as poverty, inequalities and homelessness. Now, you may think I am talking nonsense, but there are millions of examples that have left a big mark on the whole world even today. Think of Mother Teresa: she is widely recognized as a perfect light of altruism. She gave her life to serving the poorest of the poor in India, giving them basic necessities such as food and medical care. She had a huge impact on the world. Her work has inspired countless individuals and organizations to act like her and show kindness, her legacy continues to influence people today. In addition to her impact on others, Mother Teresa experienced herself a deep sense of purpose and fulfillment from her altruistic work. She once said, “I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love”. The humanitarian things that she was doing, made her feel a sense of joy and meaning that she could not have found in any other thing. If we like to live in a harmonious world, filled with love, we should solve this problem by promoting Altruism.  Children should be taught from an early age to care about the needs of others and offer it in collective behaviors. Additionally, the media should be inspired to promote positive role models, who prioritize social responsibility over individualism. And the key for everything mentioned previously is volunteerism. It is all about it, it wants us to trust in the process, spread love around, be patient and mainly have a will to stay bonded in the society.

Overall, even if the Me Generation has its benefits, it is still a massive problem that has a big negative impact on society. But we can solve it by giving help selflessly. To make people act altruistically we should promote it whenever we can. If you don’t like to feel cold, lonely and frustrated, please act altruistically, and there will be no more loneliness, sadness, and selfishness; the world will be filled with love and harmony.

Ana Angelovska

Sources:

http://www.oxfordreference.com – Me Generation

plato.stanford.edu – Egoism

http://www.biography.com – Mother Teresa

http://www.brainyquote.com – Egoism Quotes