> Other trends in American culture, including permissive parenting, increased
> materialism and the fascination with celebrities and reality TV shows, may also
> heighten self-regard, said study coauthor W. Keith Campbell, psychology
> professor at the University of Georgia. "It's part of a whole cultural system,"
> he said.
It's increased materialism, plain and simple.
You have a society that is wealthy and gives children everything they want, then you get a society of self-absorbed kids who expect to get anything they want.
My sister was telling me the other day about a young girl who is the playmate of my niece. The younger girl goes to public school while my niece goes to a private school. The younger girl has 4 American Girl dolls, evidently because her family doesn't want her to feel left behind the rich girls who live in the next subdivision. In case you are unfamiliar with American Girl dolls, these things cost $100 each. Throw in all of the clothes and you can see how expensive this plaything can be.
Chuck -------------------------- Bread and Roses Web Design serving small businesses, non-profits, artists and activists http://www.breadandrosesweb.com/