The gee whiz era

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● Check out DISSENT'S quick notes on last night's board meeting (below).

● Then read this story in this morning’s Inside Higher Ed: Jerry Springer U. My fave quote: “I think this is another example that we are stuck in the gee whiz era of the Internet….”

● Are students narcissistic? You bet! Check out this morning’s LA Times: Gen Y's ego trip takes a nasty turn:

…All the effort to boost children's self-esteem may have backfired and produced a generation of college students who are more narcissistic than their Gen X predecessors, according to a new study led by a San Diego State University psychologist.

And the Internet, with all its MySpace and YouTube braggadocio, is letting that self-regard blossom even more, said the analysis, titled "Egos Inflating Over Time."

In the study being released today, researchers warn that a rising ego rush could cause personal and social problems for the Millennial Generation, also called Gen Y. People with an inflated sense of self tend to have less interest in emotionally intimate bonds and can lash out when rejected or insulted….