Think teenagers are too sensitive? There's a good chance if you're a Baby Boomer, you're even more delicate.
New research has revealed how narcissistic qualities in different generations change as time goes on.
People believe that younger generations are becoming more narcissistic, researchers say, but this particular study analyses how it varies with age at the same time.
"One of the most surprising findings was that - also contrary to what many people think - individuals who were born earlier in the century started off with higher levels of hyper-sensitivity, or the type of narcissism where people are full of themselves, as well as willfulness, which is the tendency to impose opinions on others," Michigan State University associate professor William Chopik said in a statement.
"There are things that happen in life that can shake people a little bit and force them to adapt their narcissistic qualities," Chopik said.
He wrote about the latest research in the Psychology and Aging journal. He says the findings show qualities associated with narcism, overall, actually reduce as time goes on and as people age, but people born earlier had larger levels of hypersensitivity.
"There isn't much data on older generations, but now that Baby Boomers are aging into that phase of life, it's a huge part of the population we need to be looking at," Chopik said.
The study analysed 750 people aged between 13 and 70 years old.
New relationships, Chopik explains, contribute to people becoming less narcissistic.
"As you age, you form new relationships, have new experiences, start a family and so on. All of these factors make someone realise that it's not 'all about them'."
And people landing their first job was another contributing factor to people becoming less narcissistic, Chopik said.
"One thing about narcissists is that they're not open to criticism."
In July, research also found Kiwi Baby Boomers were drinking more and more.
The study found hazardous drinking in the past 10 years had doubled for people aged 65 to 74.
