Social narcissism is the use of social media to promote selfish tendencies such as concern for social status, physical appearance, career success, and financial status. It is not a disease but can be present in everyone to some degree. Narcissistic traits can be harmful when they become a clinical disorder. Social media does not attract narcissists in unusual numbers, but it can promote social narcissism.
Social narcissism is the use of social media as an outlet to promote selfish tendencies such as concern for social status, physical appearance, career success, and financial status. Through their profiles and posts, social narcissists can be easily recognized on social media sites. Some studies indicate that social media can promote social narcissism. Narcissism has been variously defined as a cultural phenomenon and a psychological illness.
Social media sites are a great outlet for social narcissism. Social narcissists are not driven by a desire to connect with other people. They are more interested in acquiring hundreds of friends on social media and impressing others with their popularity. A flashy profile photo taken by a professional photographer is another indication of a social narcissist. The social narcissist’s posts will most likely catalog her career achievements, social status, and events she has attended. The grandiose belief that everyone is very interested in their own life is the driving factor behind the social narcissist’s postings on social networking sites.
Studies show that there is no higher percentage of narcissists using social media than the general population, so social media does not attract narcissists in unusual numbers. Some college students have reported feeling more narcissistic while using social media, but that doesn’t make them full-blown narcissists. Among high school students, researchers have found that some students on social media sites are overly concerned about physical appearance and social status. Of course these characteristics are common to many teenagers. Research has also suggested that social media can help shy teens adjust to their peers.
The term narcissism has been used to describe cultures. In his 1978 book, The Culture of Narcissism, Christopher Lasch presented the idea that after World War II, Americans began exhibiting more narcissistic traits. He suggested that Americans were becoming more interested in acquiring property and less interested in basic human values. It’s no surprise to him that the term narcissism has been used in relation to social media. The very nature of the social media environment encourages a certain level of narcissism, as it invites people to share their activities and thoughts.
Narcissistic traits can be present in everyone to some degree and social narcissism is not necessarily a disease. The clinical name of the psychiatric syndrome is Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). Traits of this psychological disorder include an exaggerated sense of self-importance, a sense of entitlement, an obsession with social status, and a willingness to take advantage of people. The narcissistic person is unable to feel compassion for other people and is very adept at using people to further their own ambitions. When narcissism becomes a clinical disorder, it adversely affects the narcissist’s relationships, career, self-esteem, and happiness.
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