Are Today's Young People Just in it for Themselves?

The Millennial Generation -- that's folks born after 1982 -- tends to care less about the environment, civic life and society in general than people of preceding generations, according to a study co-authored by a UGA psychology professor.

"The study, which compares the traits of young people in high school and entering college today with those of baby boomers and Gen X'ers at the same age from 1966 to 2009, shows an increasing trend of valuing money, image, and fame more than inherent principles like self-acceptance, affiliation, and community," the Chronicle of Higher Education reports.

W. Keith Campbell, who heads the 's Psychology Department, helped author the study, which was published in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. The lead author was Jean M. Twenge, a professor at San Diego State University, who discussed her book "Generation Me" at a UGA symposium last spring.

"The data analyzed here suggest that the popular view of Millennials as more caring, community oriented, and politically engaged than previous generations ... is largely incorrect," the study concludes, though it acknowledges that volunteerism among young people has increased. "Saving the environment, an area purported to be of particular concern to young Millennials, instead showed one of the largest declines.

"How these attitudes and behaviors will shape the young generation and the country as more Millennials enter adult life remains to be seen."

What do you think? Are today's young people more selfish than you are? If they are, whose fault is that?