Narcissism Epidemic: Why There Are So Many Narcissists Now  An
author of 'The Narcissism Epidemic' explores why today's
kids—and adults—feel so entitled.   Narcissism, or excessive
self-love, is marked by bloated confidence, vanity, materialism,
and a lack of consideration for others. Yet narcissistic
personality traits have become so pervasive in American culture
that they threaten to transform us into a nation of egomaniacs,
research psychologists Jean Twenge and W. Keith Campbell say in
their new book The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of
Entitlement.  Twenge and her team at San Diego State University
also report today in a new study that narcissism continues to
spread quickly among college students, especially young women.
Considering how cultural influences on girls have changed in the
past decade, that's not surprising, says Twenge. Plastic surgery
rates have jumped since the 1990s, and materialism is
increasingly being emphasized in song lyrics, for example, she
says.  U.S. News caught up with