A recent Wall Street Journal article reported that our generation, bombarded with steady praise and encouragement since iyd childhood, has become dependent on praise from others. The article struck me as somewhat peculiar; I certainly had not noticed that my generation was notorious for its narcissism. If that was true, then was I the only person of my peers to not receive my fair share of this seemingly bottomless pool of praise? I called my mother to investigate, and after she assured me that I was smart, handsome, and very, very special, I calmed down and began to refocus on the issue at hand.

Unfortunately, it appears our generation might not go down in history as Generation M (for modesty). The article cites a reputable psychological study that finds that college students of today are 30 percent more narcissistic than 25 years ago. The culprit? Parents who believe it is their job to build self-esteem, and coaches who give out trophies to every player to ensure that no poor soul feels left out and ends up needing years of expensive therapy. This need for praise, the article purports, is inspiring drastic changes in the work world; corporations and bosses must now make a conscious effort to keep young workers' confidence up. It even suggests that college professors are "throwing out the red pens" to avoid discouraging students.

The longer I stared at the walls of my dorm, decorated with numerous "good effort" awards and "second-to-last place" trophies, I conceded that our generation might just be addicted to frequent praise. In grade school, our teacher organized a game where each student would take turns leaving the classroom while the rest of the class brainstormed compliments and positive traits to describe that student. (I really, really enjoyed those days.) Even as I grew older, the year-end award ceremonies of my hockey team always ensured diverse and narrow criteria for awards so that everyone was sure to win at least once. (I still have my most-efficient-water-bottle-filler trophy). Even as a 20-something, while working at a restaurant last summer, all the bartenders were encouraged to fill out praise cards for the servers, and vice versa, in an effort to keep the restaurant morale high.

But does this type of reassurance exist at the College? Do faculty feel pressured to use positive feedback rather than constructive criticism to keep students engaged? Although I am not sure what types of pressure faculty feel, I, for one, think that Amherst does a spectacular job of making us feel special. (Great job, Amherst College!) From the moment we step on campus, we are reminded of our spectacular achievements. Everyone always enjoys Director of Admission Katie Fretwell's orientation welcoming speech as she spouts off the numerous achievements of the incoming class.

Writing this article has made me realize how much praise our generation actually receives. But is there anything wrong with it? Some psychologists worry all this praise is making our generation's members skeptical of one another. We no longer trust the compliments we receive as genuine and praise is growing increasingly meaningless. When my editor tells me how much she enjoys reading my articles, my first assumption is that her praise is just a reflex to protect my feelings. The second is that she is really just desperate for writers. Therefore, a survival tip to all graduating seniors: If after Amherst you discover you no longer receive your accustomed dose of praise, you must, in lieu, maintain a certain level of delusion. For, no matter what my editor thinks, I know that I am very, very special.

Rylan really likes receiving praise on his articles. Send compliments his way at rburns09@amherst.edu.