Facebook and narcissists

Mimi Wang

Soraya Mehdizadeh, a psychologist at York University, studied 100 Facebook users ages 18 to 25 and found that users who spend more time on Facebook were more likely to promote themselves through carefully picked, and possibly photoshopped, photographs or status updates.

According to the study, narcissists may be drawn to the popular social networking site because of the detached nature of online friendships.

Mehdizadeh’s study has not been the only Facebook related study published by the academic journal, “Cyberpyschology, Behavior, and Social Networking”.

“They Are Happier and Having Better Lives than I Am” is based on a survey where 425 college students were asked about their use of websites such as Facebook.

Avid Facebook users were more likely to make the claim that others were happier and had better lives than them.

It is easy to feel that others are leading more exciting and adventurous lives when they are constantly putting up pictures from last night’s party or making updates about an exotic vacation.

According to Mesa Community College psychology professor Mary Horton, “This is the social comparison theory. We compare ourselves with others to get a sense of how we rate.

“If we compare ourselves to someone beneath us, we feel better/superior. If we compare ourselves to someone superior, we feel worse.

“Since people typically only post good times, good photos, happy events on Facebook, we feel down because our own life doesn’t seem as fun and exciting.  We forget that these postings are not the norm even in that person’s life,” Horton said.

Unfortunately, a new study that was conducted by psychologists from the University of Waterloo in Canada shows that although Facebook can be used as an emotional outlet, users with low self-esteem or a negative self-image tend to act similarly online as they do offline by posting negative posts on Facebook.

Ironically, gloomy posts on Facebook could “lead to the very rejection they fear” according to the study.

Rejection coupled with feelings of inferiority and inadequacy may lead to what the American Academy of Pediatrics is calling “Facebook Depression.” For young and impressionable users, it is easy for social networking sites to “build unrealistic expectations.”

Of course, none of the studies show a direct link between Facebook as the source of narcissism, low self-esteem, and depression.

Instead, it is also possible that users who are already narcissistic or suffer from low self-esteem or depression are more likely to spend more time on Facebook out of boredom, a lack of a social life, or in order to self-promote.

  • Mesa Legend Staff

    These are archived stories from Mesa Legend editions before Fall 2018. See article for corresponding author.

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