Unselfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World Hardback - 2016

Is the Selfie Syndrome Undermining Our Kids' Future?

Teens today are 40 percent less empathetic than they were thirty years ago. Why is a lack of empathy--which goes hand-in-hand with the self-absorption epidemic Dr. Michele Borba calls the Selfie Syndrome--so dangerous? First, it hurts kids' academic performance and leads to bullying behaviors. Also, it correlates with more cheating and less resilience. And once children grow up, a lack of empathy hampers their ability to collaborate, innovate, and problem-solve--all must-have skills for the global economy.

In UnSelfie Dr. Borba pinpoints the forces causing the empathy crisis and shares a revolutionary, researched-based, 9-step plan for reversing it. Readers will learn:

-Why discipline approaches like spanking, yelling, and even time-out can squelch empathy

-How lavish praise inflates kids' egos and keeps them locked in "selfie" mode

-Why reading makes kids smarter and kinder

-How to help kids be Upstanders--not bystanders--in the face of bullying

-Why self-control is a better predictor of wealth, health, and happiness than grades or IQ

-Why the right mix of structured extracurricular activities and free play is key for teaching collaboration

-How to ignite a Kindness Revolution in your kids and community

The good news? Empathy is a trait that can be taught and nurtured. Dr. Borba offers a framework for parenting that yields the results we all want: successful, happy kids who also are kind, moral, courageous, and resilient. UnSelfie is a blueprint for parents and educators who want to kids shift their focus from I, me, and mine...to we, us, and ours.