Millennials feeling pressured to be perfect: study
Posted March 24, 2019 7:26 pm.
Last Updated March 25, 2019 12:58 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — In the age of social media, more Millennials than ever before are striving for perfection.
According to a new Canadian study, Millennials have unrealistic standards and if they can’t reach those standards, they are more harsh on themselves than previous generations.
Dr. Simon Sherry, one of the study’s authors, says perfectionism can have serious consequences.
“It places people at risk for depression, anxiety, suicide, bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and a host of other difficulties,” he says.
Other factors like parental and socio-cultural factors are also to blame, he says.
“In particular, researcher points us towards parents who are critical, controlling and demanding as nurturing their children in a perfectionist direction,” he says.
But the rise of social media is also playing a big role.
“Today’s generation, to compare themselves, others in an upward direction, there are all sorts of idealized, unrealistic images that are being circulated and bombarding today’s youth,” he says.
When Millennials can’t achieve perfection, many experience negative emotions like guilt and anxiety, he says.
The study involved 2,500 participants ranging from 15 to 49 years old.
