Photo: Public domain
Will Storr Photo: (credit JAY BROOKS)
The struggle to keep up with all those perfect lives that hijack social media feeds is leaving us self-obsessed and unhappy with rates of anxiety and depression skyrocketing, says writer Will Storr.
In his new book Selfie, Storr charts the rise of the self-esteem movement back to the self-esteem craze of the 1980s – the brainchild of a Californian politician called John Vasconcellos that remains hugely influential to this day.
"The flawed yet infectious notion that, in order to thrive, people need to be treated with unconditional positivity first gained traction in the late '80s. Since then, the self-esteem movement has helped transform the way we raise our children - prioritising their feelings of self-worth, telling them they are special and amazing, and cocooning them from everyday consequences" - Will Storr in The Guardian
