I, Narcissist – Trojan style

NOT long ago, Bill Nye the Science Guy collapsed during a lecture at USC (my alma mater). Rather than rushing to help the ailing TV icon, as the legend goes, the students leapt instead to their Twitter and Facebook accounts to report the breaking news. It appeared to one LA Times reporter as more “proof that young narcissists spent too much time wallowing in their technology, losing their humanity in the process.” Happily, it turns out the story was greatly exaggerated. Mr. Nye was in fact quickly assisted by audience members closest to him. Nevertheless, it is a useful cautionary tale. The problem goes beyond my fellow Trojans at the famous “University of Spoiled Children.” We all know people who are forever yakking on their cell phones when they’re not texting, tweeting or posting. Let’s hope this is just a societal phase we’re passing through on the road to balancing life and technology.