If your kids seem to be saying "I" and "me" with excessive frequency these days, you may want to check their iPods. A new study, published in the journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, analyzed the lyrics of hit songs from 1980 to 2007 and found a statistically significant trend toward narcissism and, secondarily, hostility. The "us"-centric songs of the 1980s, like "Ebony and Ivory," have given way to "me"-centric lyrics like Beyonce's "It's blazin', you watch me in amazement." And there's a correlation between narcissistic songs and an uptick in narcissism over time. Are Beyoncé and Co. to blame?
Yes, blame the music: This spot-on study leaves you wondering, "How does an entire generation become so full of itself?" says Sandy Hingston in Philadelphia Magazine. You don't need a Ph.D to see a straight line from songs about "I, I, I, me, me!" to the jump in narcissistic college students who, in surveys, agree with statements such as, "I like to look at myself in the mirror."
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