When asked about their biggest weakness in job interviews, many people give the 'cheat answer' of perfectionism. But for millennials, this trait has become a genuine and damaging problem, with research linking it to rising rates of mental illness.
A study by Thomas Curran and Andrew P Hill found that most young people aged 18 to 35 experience 'multidimensional perfectionism' – the pressure to meet increasingly high standards across many areas of life. The study associated this with conditions such as eating disorders, anxiety and depression.
Social media plays a key role, as users feel compelled to 'measure up' to peers. Justin Rosenstein, the engineer who created the Facebook 'like' button, described likes as 'bright dings of pseudo-pleasure' and has limited his own use of social media. The craving for validation fuels feelings of isolation.
The problem may have origins in education reforms of the 1990s, including the launch of Ofsted and a push for 50% of school leavers to attend university. An increased focus on exams and grades conditioned millennials to seek out metrics and equate self-worth with achievement, leaving them vulnerable to the pressures of social media in later life.
