Thursday, March 22, 2012

Narcissistic-ly disordered people...



On Facebook.
Facebook's 'dark side': study finds link to socially aggressive narcissism.

Psychology paper finds Facebook and other social media offer platform for obsessions with self-image and shallow friendships*.
Duh!  That was so hard to figure out? 
Researchers have established a direct link between the number of friends you have on Facebook and the degree to which you are a "socially disruptive" narcissist, confirming the conclusions of many social media sceptics.

People who score highly on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory questionnaire had more friends on Facebook, tagged themselves more often and updated their newsfeeds more regularly.

The research comes amid increasing evidence that young people are becoming increasingly narcissistic, and obsessed with self-image and shallow friendships.
The latest study, published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, also found that narcissists responded more aggressively to derogatory comments made about them on the social networking site's public walls and changed their profile pictures more often.

A number of previous studies have linked narcissism with Facebook use, but this is some of the first evidence of a direct relationship between Facebook friends and the most "toxic" elements of narcissistic personality disorder.

Researchers at Western Illinois University studied the Facebook habits of 294 students, aged between 18 and 65, and measured two "socially disruptive" elements of narcissism – grandiose exhibitionism (GE) and entitlement/exploitativeness (EE).

GE includes ''self-absorption, vanity, superiority, and exhibitionistic tendencies" and people who score high on this aspect of narcissism need to be constantly at the centre of attention. They often say shocking things and inappropriately self-disclose because they cannot stand to be ignored or waste a chance of self-promotion.

The EE aspect includes "a sense of deserving respect and a willingness to manipulate and take advantage of others".

The research revealed that the higher someone scored on aspects of GE, the greater the number of friends they had on Facebook, with some amassing more than 800. - The Guardian

We all know who we are. 

*Don't I know it.

Photo: Larry  What?

14 comments:

  1. Well, I've got 490 friends, but most of my status updates are music videos and I say very little about myself ... So am I just a Narc?

    Anyway, what's weirder is people who put their babies all over Facebook. I mean, some people literally will be able to go back to their parents' timeines and see "baby just pooped all over mom's jeans" and stuff like that.

    It's also dangerous as hell, because Facebook sure as hell doesn;t screen for sex predators.

    Another favorite is "All packed and ready to leave for a week in Vegas. 6am tomorrow, woo!" Smart.

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  2. Here's a tip: stay off FB for the duration of Holy Week and then never get on it again after that.

    Best thing I ever did.

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  3. +JMJ+

    I only go on Facebook to tell people what's happening on Twitter.

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  4. Anonymous4:03 AM

    ROTFLOL ! Me to a T!

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  5. Robin4:46 AM

    I just posted the Guardian article on my FB wall, so that all my narcissistic friends can see it and change their ways!

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  6. Funny. I have the same article sitting up in my tabs to post today.

    I spent many evenings deleting the majority of my "friends" (over a thousand) I'm sure they don't miss me.

    I agree with Mercury and am appalled at the amount of information people will post and also the vileness of the language used by very young people.

    I haven't updated my status in months and only use it to occasionally link one of my blog posts.

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  7. I think this type of exhibitionism really took off in American culture with Bandstand, and people dancing for the television cameras, then tv game shows, along with tv talk shows and live call-in radio talk shows... now it is living our lives online. I can't wait for hologram technology to be perfected.

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  8. I was able to draw my gaze from the mirror long enough to let you know;

    http://www.patheos.com/blogs/thecrescat/2012/03/fr-longenecker-on-patheos.html

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  9. narcissistic students ... like this:

    Romney - If you're looking for more free....

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=w6aLpf5OMKw

    @ 5:15 -
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=L3Cx3tSkOqg

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  10. Kat! Someone just asked me if I knew who the priest was going to be. Wow! Big catch.

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  11. LOL @enbrethiliel & crescat!

    What's Bandstand? :p

    I remember Monchhichi.

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  12. I kind if want to link this post to Facebook right now. Is that GE or more EE?

    Meh, narcissism is so complicated!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Where'd you find my high school picture?

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  14. In my Up With People archives.

    ReplyDelete


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