What is Digital Narcissism?
Digital narcissism can be expressed by a series of “extreme” actions such as sharing a lot of daily life moments or taking too many selfies.
Social networking services like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube aren’t actually all that “social,” if you think about it. In many ways, they are actually antisocial. Despite the fact that these websites allow for socializing, they are more akin to “me-centric” private clubs that lack genuine social contact.
On a social networking platform, you have control over who you communicate with. People with opposing viewpoints can be simply filtered away. These websites can be utilized to build a following and fan base.
Others besides researchers also think that young people’s limited social connection causes them to become less sensitive towards other feelings. Because of social networking, about 60% of college students feel more narcissistic. The same students claimed that the main purposes of social media are attention seeking and self-promotion.
Nobody is saying that using Facebook with your family or kids would turn you into a narcissist. There are more than 2.93 billion active Facebook users as of June 2022. However, not all of them are narcissists. Teens who feel entitled, need to stand out, or have a strong desire to share their accomplishments with the world should use Facebook to their advantage.
Signs of Digital Narcissists
How can you tell if your friend is using Facebook to satisfy narcissistic desires? These are the signs to look for:
Are they mostly “all about themselves” on Facebook and Instagram? Instead of sharing the worries and issues of others, narcissistic individuals frequently use social media to advertise themselves. Watch out for the words “me,” “I,” and “my” in every post.
You may be able to monitor how frequently they visit the website. Maybe by counting the number of Status Updates they post each day. Do you think they should check in more frequently to see if their friends or fans have grown? Do they constantly feel the need to post such increases in connections as if it were a competition?
You may observe their method for selecting and changing their profile image. Is it only a picture? Or does it have to be the most exotic photo ever captured in a remote area? Are they dressed in costumes or are they sporting skimpy outfits?
In essence, narcissism is fabricating a false character in order to conceal the narcissist’s actual thoughts of self-hatred. Online is the easiest way to create a phony identity, and avatar because they can pretend who they want to be and nobody is verifying their actual status physically and informing in the digital world.
Does Digital Technology Breed Narcissism?
Technology has the biggest role in whatever we achieve today. It drastically changes the way to communicate and our way of doing jobs. While talking about the positive sides of technology we should not forget the negative aspects of it.
Social networking is a fantastic way to stay in touch with old friends, meet new people, and enhance your profession. However, young people may be at risk from this online way of life. According to experts, the Internet and mobile computing may be breeding grounds for narcissists.
At some point in life, everyone exhibits narcissism. Through encounters with other people, the majority of people learn to let go of their adolescent ego and become more normal. People acquire empathy, compassion, and consideration for others in this way.
While there are various reasons why a narcissist may get stuck in an infant developmental phase, it seems that the Internet and digital technology could be contributing to narcissism. This inhuman engagement, particularly among teens, via digital gadgets may be harming the normal process of growing up and getting out of narcissism.
Cell phones are common among teenagers. Teenagers can develop a narcissistic environment in which they solely engage with their peers, who may be feeding their narcissistic inclinations. Additionally, they avoid any contact with those who might provide frank criticism.
However, kids are not the only ones who use cell phones to develop narcissism. Cell phones are a major device that causes narcissism these days in people.
How many times have you been in a public setting when your peace is disturbed by a rude person blathering on a cell phone, prattling on with intimate information about his/her social life, with no regard for you or the people nearby?
Before mobile phones, people speak with one another in public. Some people think that narcissists are facilitated by mobile devices like phones. In some aspects, the decline of newspapers may be a factor in the rise of the “me-centric” digital generation.
Newspaper coverage was mostly concerned with people and their issues, which narcissists have no interest in. Despite the fact that people may read news, the internet enables them to filter out useless stories and focus on the news that matters to them. This contains news that might be useful to them or their close friends.
According to statistics, college students in this generation are more narcissistic than previous ones. Their early exposure to digital technology throughout their formative years may be somewhat to blame for this.
Avoiding the Trap of Internet Narcissism
How can you or someone you know avoid falling into the traps of digital narcissism if the Internet can help narcissistic traits flourish?
To get some perspective, you must first take a step back. Sharing your opinions with your online buddies might be enjoyable, but is it really necessary to do so constantly?
Just update friends with the most crucial or pertinent information once or twice per week, and try to keep your social media usage to a limit. You may compete against yourself. “Let’s try if we can make it until Saturday without using social media!”
For a short update on social media, try to keep your time to a few minutes. Don’t stay on other people’s pages for hours. Don’t let your online persona influence how you act or react to real-world situations.
For instance, you shouldn’t accept a party invitation merely to post images from the event on your social media “wall.” The same goes for turning down an invitation to a party you really want to go to out of concern that photos of you might show up on other people’s social media pages.
Finally, if you believe that digital narcissism is tempting you, quit using social media. You can stop using social media. With a few mouse clicks, you may instantly delete your Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts, either temporarily or permanently. Many people who did this claimed it was the best choice they had ever made.