narcissism in present day
TRANSCRIPT
An Era of Narcissism
Photo Source: Flickr “Mirror” by Allen Skyy A Flipbook by Tyler Hunt
In an age of technology and
heightened social media use for both
business and pleasure, users have
become more narcissistic as a result
of maintaining a personal brand.
The Age of Technology
In 2013, it was reported that
47% of Canadians use
smartphones, up from 34%
in 2012 [3]
Photo Source: Flickr “Smartphone” by Christian Hornick
Search Engine Frenzy
Researchers at Yale found that using a search engine leads to a
boost in confidence and a tendency to overestimate expertise and
brilliance. [6]
Photo Source: Flicker “Google+” by timubl
Permanent Career Campaign
these social media platforms)are no longer JUST
personal communication tools, or a means of
strengthening weak ties across their networks.
instead they are the criteria by which you will
be evaluated BY in the future. [2]
Photo Source: Flickr “3D Social Networking” by Chris Potter
Everyone is expected to perform
round-the-clock personal “brand”
maintenance, and most people do
not realize it. [2]
“You progress or you stagnate”[2]
Photo Source: Flickr “Progress” by Kevin Dooley
3 Ways to mAINTAIN yOUR Personal Campaign [2]
1. Monitor-keep track of media mentions
2. Control the dialogue
3. Create your fan base
Photo Source: Flickr “Periodista” by Esther Vargas
Research from Western Illinois University showed a link between
the number of Facebook friends you have and how active you are on the
site to the likelihood of being a “socially disruptive narcissist”. [8]
Photo Source: Flickr “Facebook Friends – My New Twitter Wallpaper” by Amit Agarwal
“A cross section of the narcissist’s ego will reveal
high levels of self-esteem, grandiosity, self-focus,
and self-importance” [7]
What is a Narcissist?
“They will think they are more physically attractive
and intelligent than just about everyone, and would
rather be admired than liked” [7]
Photo Source: https://goo.gl/AVAYHR
“Facebook gives those with narcissistic tendencies the opportunity to
exploit the site to get the feedback they need and
become the center of attention” [7]
Photo Source: https://goo.gl/92Yzlz
Facebook users that self-promote on the site show signs of two narcissistic
behaviours:
Photo Source: Flickr “facebook business” by Sean MacEntee
1. Grandiose Exhibition (GE): people who love to be the center of attention
2. Entitlement/Exploitiveness (EE): indicates how far people will go to get
the respect and attention they think they deserve [7]
“People strive to create a ‘personal brand’ packaging
themselves like a product to be sold” [2]
Photo Source: http://bit.ly/22FyNlh
The “Narcissism Epidemic” [5]
“Not only are there more narcissists than ever,
but non-narcissistic people are seduced by the
increasing emphasis on material wealth, physical
appearance, celebrity worship, and attention
seeking” [1]
Photo Source: Flickr “Mirror” by Tif Pic
Pop Music
Psychologist Nathan DeWall found that lyrics in pop music from 1980
to 2007 demonstrate increasing narcissism in society. [10]
Photo source: Flickr “stereo” by givesmehell
“In data from 37,000 college students, narcissistic personality
traits rose just as fast as obesity from the 1980s to
present” [5]
Photo Source: http://bit.ly/1XZztkc
A 2006 study demonstrated that 1 in 4 college students agreed
with the majority of items on a measure of standard narcissistic
traits. [1]
Photo Source: http://bit.ly/25EmJm8
While narcissistic characteristics are common in
adolescents, other negative effects of teenagers
overusing social media according to Larry Rosen
include[11]:
Being more susceptible to aggressive, vain, and anti-social behavior
Showing a poorer academic performance
Photo Source: Pixabay by ijmaki
“Narcissism causes almost all of the things that Americans hoped high
self-esteem would prevent, including aggression, materialism, lack of caring
for others, and shallow values.” [1]
“In trying to build a society that celebrates high self-esteem, self-expression, and “loving yourself”,
Americans have inadvertently created more narcissists and a culture that
brings out the narcissistic behavior in all of us.” [1]
Studies have indicated that
envy and jealousy increases with Facebook use, with overall satisfaction decreasing. [9]
Photo Source: Flickr “Social Media apps” by Jason Howie
However……
Sebastian Valenzuela’s 2009 study
came to the opposite conclusion –
he found that Facebook use:
Increases social
trust and
engagement
Photo Source: http://bit.ly/22fdx0l
Encourages political participation [9]
Boosts happiness
“Social media-minded millennials are the most narcissistic generation on record, but recent psychological research indicates that Facebook isn’t to blame for that
image obsession.” [4]
Photo Source: Flickr “State Farm and Harris Poll conducted a State of Neighbors survey” by State Farm
Some research suggests that there are positive outcomes that come
with the number of friends and relationships online, such as social
attractiveness and social support. [4]
Photo Source: Flickr “Social Media Class” by mkhmarketing
Conclusion
While the exact cause of increased narcissistic qualities among
today’s youth and general population can be argued, it is clear
that the need to maintain a personal brand for social and
professional purposes has resulted in a more self-obsessed
environment for all.
Photo Source: http://bit.ly/24r8mit
Citations
1) books, TODAY. "Me, Me, Me! America’S ‘Narcissism Epidemic’". TODAY.com. N.p., 2009. Web. 4 June
2016.
2) Clark, Dorie. "It's Not A Job Search, It's A Permanent Campaign". Harvard Business Review2012. Web. 2
June 2016.
3) Eichler, Leah. "Sorry To Be Rude, But My Smartphone Needs My Attention". The Globe and Mail 2013.
Web. 2 June 2016.
4) Elkon, Jamie. "Facebook And The Rise Of Narcissism". Shrinkrap - Psychology Blog. N.p., 2011. Web. 4
June 2016.
5) Gulati, Daniel. "Our Dangerous Obsession With External Recognition". Harvard Business Review 2013.
Web. 2 June 2016.
6) Kaplan, Sarah. "How The Internet Makes You Think You're Smarter Than You Really Are".The Washington Post 2015. Web. 2 June 2016.
7) Kaufman, Scott Barry. "How To Spot A Narcissist". Psychology Today 2011. Web. 4 June 2016.
8) Kelly, Samantha. "Got Tons Of Facebook Friends? You May Be A Narcissist, Says Study [VIDEO]". Mashable.
N.p., 2012. Web. 2 June 2016.
9) Konnikova, Maria. "How Facebook Makes Us Unhappy". The New Yorker 2013. Web. 2 June 2016.
10) "Study: Narcissism On Rise In Pop Lyrics". NPR.org. N.p., 2011. Web. 3 June 2016.
11) Williams, Ray. "Do Facebook And Other Social Media Encourage Narcissism?". Psychology Today 2013.
Web. 4 June 2016.