Suicide rates skyrocket among survivors of a recent family death, so I'm wondering if grief and loss might be likelier culprits than money woes.

I'm sure that has a lot to do with it. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't some untreated depression. His dad went a little bonkers years ago and totally fixated on money too. (Hoarding it and claiming he was totally broke.) But my uncle had untreated and out of control diabetes (which eventually killed him), so everyone attributed the craziness to his disease, but I have to wonder if something more wasn't going on.

Thanks for all the thoughts. It really helps. And it helps to talk about it, instead of sitting in my cubicle stunned.

From the Wall Street Journal:

Blame It on Mr. Rogers: Why Young Adults Feel So Entitled

I'm pretty sure its safe to tell children that they're special just the way they when they're five -- they ARE. They're FIVE. They're precious as hell. Really. Pinning entitled brats in their teens and twenties thinking they should get "A"s on Mr. Rogers seems a little extreme.

I don't know. I've read a few things that tie that sort of talk to young children to entitlement issues later in life. I think that when a child accomplishes something (potty training, learning ABCs/numbers, cleaning up, etc.) praising the effort and result is better than randomly telling a kid how wonderful they are all the time.

I think the pinning the blame on Mr. Rogers betrays a lack of familiarity with the canon of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. That professor is a newb.

I'm pretty sure its safe to tell children that they're special just the way they when they're five -- they ARE. They're FIVE. They're precious as hell. Really. Pinning entitled brats in their teens and twenties thinking they should get "A"s on Mr. Rogers seems a little extreme.

Yeah, my generation watched Mr. Rogers and, believe me, the sense of entitlement now is very different than it was back when I was in college, or even ten years ago when I started teaching.

Mr. Rogers has been on a loooong time, though. Since I was a kid, and I'm 34, and no longer a "young adult" and also not in an age grade that's considered entitled. (I'm tail end of slacker, myself.)

A recent study showed it was better to praise hard work than telling kids they were smart, which is probably what GC is referring to.

A recent study showed it was better to praise hard work than telling kids they were smart, which is probably what GC is referring to.

I heard about that! It makes a lot of sense.

Yeah, my generation watched Mr. Rogers and, believe me, the sense of entitlement now is very different than it was back when I was in college, or even ten years ago when I started teaching.

Huh. I guess I don't hang out with young'uns much these days - can you give some examples/anecdotes?

Blaming Mr. Rogers is silly, but there is a ridiculous amount of entitlement going on with today's young adults (and yesterday's, too).