Finally putting credit to rumors about the current generation of youth being selfish bloodsuckers, a new University of Michigan study reports that since 2000, college students have become less empathetic than ever before.

The study states that compared to the late 1970s, students are less likely to agree with phrases like, "I sometimes try to understand my friends better by imagining how things look from their perspective," and "I often have tender, concerned feelings for people less fortunate than me." The research — conducted by Sara Konrath at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research — was just presented in Boston at the annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science.

Konrath based her findings off of surveys conducted with almost 14,000 college students over the past 30 years. According to Psychology Today, this is the largest study to date to quantify the decline.

"College kids today are about 40 percent lower in empathy than their counterparts of 20 or 30 years ago," she explains. "The increase in exposure to media during this time period could be one factor. Compared to 30 years ago, the average American now is exposed to three times as much non-work-related information. In terms of media content, this generation of college students grew up with video games, and a growing body of research, including work done by my colleagues at Michigan, is establishing that exposure to violent media numbs people to the pain of others."

The explosion in social media may also be to blame, as Konrath explains, "The ease of having 'friends' might make people more likely to just tune out when they don't feel like responding to others' problems, a behavior that could carry over offline."

A hyper-competitive academic atmosphere and inflated expectations of success, fostered by warped parenting techniques, may also be culprits. "College students today may be so busy worrying about themselves and their own issues that they don't have time to spend empathizing with others, or at least perceive such time to be limited," says Edward O'Brien, a graduate student who worked on the study.

The researchers are discussing a generation in which children were shuttled between extremely structured play dates and outdoor activities, in which they simply lacked the unstructured atmosphere that encourages understanding. These current college students were also raised under the pernicious notion that "you can't love anyone else until you love yourself."

Psychologist Jean Twenge has previously identified a "narcissism epidemic" among the identified population, with more students exhibiting selfish qualities and increases in traits that can lead to a diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder — a condition in which people are so self-involved that other people are no more than objects to reflect their glory.

For those who happen to empathize with the researchers, eHow.com offers detailed instructions on how to increase empathy. Or, you can take the survey for yourself.

Speaking as somebody only one year out of college, I disagree wholeheartedly with the study's findings. Just this week, when my roommate was devastated by an ex unfollowing her on Twitter, I splurged on a new hallway mirror so that we can spend more time primping, thus avoiding painful breakups. Several times during college, when a friend (or even a frenemy) was struck with a mild case of alcohol poisoning, I offered my own bathtub as refuge.

I also remember my freshman year of college, when I first met my roommate — he had an antiquated iPod model, and I just felt so, so sorry for him. I was strong, and never shed a tear — but I was there for him, and years later, when he was gifted the iTouch months before me, I held my head high and bid him a warm, "Congratulations."

Despite a subsequent falling out (his girlfriend drank all of my Odwalla!), we are friends on Facebook to this day, and when I'm feeling extra empathetic, I'll wish him a heartfelt "Happy Birthday" on his profile wall.

This eruption of Gen-Y-phobia is cause for concern — it would be nice if the elderly could understand.