Social media & narcissism

[TheJimi]

I was given a link to an instagram account the other day, and the level of narcissism was just off the scale. While this isn’t a revelation to me, it did get me thinking.

What did the narcissists do before online social media? Oddly enough, up to this point, I was interested in getting to know the individual in question, as we have very similar interests but after seeing the instagram, I was instantly put off (!)

Has there always been that many narcissists about, or has social media had a nurturing effect on certain personality types? I should probably point out that I’m not tarring all users with the same brush; a lot of users of social media have something genuinely interesting and worth talking about, but equally a LOT of it is just vacuous self-centered attention seeking (IMO)

I’m obviously in the minority with my thoughts, but anyone else share the same observations?

[Funkycoldribena]

Theres a few on here,you must have bread their posts.

[PH5121]

There were always Knob heads but in the olden days you just ignored them and didn't associate with them. Nowadays with social media you get to know that they've been for a ste or had a boiled egg for breakfast.

I'm just a grumpy old git, I'm not friends with anyone on Facebook who I wouldn't be friends with face to face (that's why I don't have many ).

[Guvernator]

TheJimi said:

I was given a link to an instagram account the other day, and the level of narcissism was just off the scale. While this isn’t a revelation to me, it did get me thinking.

What did the narcissists do before online social media? Oddly enough, up to this point, I was interested in getting to know the individual in question, as we have very similar interests but after seeing the instagram, I was instantly put off (!)

Has there always been that many narcissists about, or has social media had a nurturing effect on certain personality types? I should probably point out that I’m not tarring all users with the same brush; a lot of users of social media have something genuinely interesting and worth talking about, but equally a LOT of it is just vacuous self-centered attention seeking (IMO)

I’m obviously in the minority with my thoughts, but anyone else share the same observations?

No not in the minority at all, you can't help but notice the effect it's had on our society. I'm not a psychologist but at an amateur guess, I'd say ever since the beginnings of the human race, we've always been creatures who place great importance on social status. Even when we lived in caves your social standing affected your ability to attract mates, have your opinion heard and generally determined how well you got on in society and those primitive mental processes are still very much ingrained in modern humans.

Social media just enables a much wider outlet for that particular quirk of human nature that has always been there so it is an enabler\multiplier but of something that has always been there. Obviously some people place more importance on social status than others and in my own observations, women seem to place a lot more importance on this then men.

Most of my male friends can take or leave social media but almost every women I know including my OH seem to spend a lot more time on this kind of stuff. Again I can only put this down to the fact that women tend to be more sociable creatures on the whole so place a lot more importance on social status, popularity and generally wanting to know what everyone else is up to and promoting what they are up to in turn for everyone else to see, almost in a competitive manner at times. Again I think a lot of this stems back to our early primitive times where your social status could literally mean the difference between a comfortable existence and death.

Narcissism is a newer thing I think but again it's just taking that desire to be socially accepted to a much higher level. Previously you only had to compete with the people in your village for social status, now you are literally competing with every other person in the world who has a phone so the natural instinct to promote your social standing steps up to a whole other level.

Edited by Guvernator on Thursday 9th November 15:17

[Zetec-S]

There are 2 main ways you see this on facebook:

1) Updating their profile picture with a new pout into the camera (with plenty of filters). Elicits one word responses along the lines of "beautiful", "gorgeous", etc.
2) Posts along the lines of "only 3 days to go..."

[Ilovejapcrap]

I left Facebook 5 years ago now because if this and general lack of privacy.

They can have all the social media for me.

I mean I use things like this forum but no one knows about me, except my car lol

But all this look at me, look at me, sad bds

[Monkeylegend]

Funkycoldribena said:

Theres a few on here,you must have bread their posts.

There are a few who butter you up the wrong way.

[lucido grigio]

Monkeylegend said:

Funkycoldribena said:

Theres a few on here,you must have bread their posts.

There are a few who butter you up the wrong way.

Crumbs !....

[Taita]

Monkeylegend said:

There are a few who butter you up the wrong way.

Was there really any knead for that?

[Shakermaker]

Taita said:

Monkeylegend said:

There are a few who butter you up the wrong way.

Was there really any knead for that?

I doughn't think so

[Funkycoldribena]

Monkeylegend said:

Funkycoldribena said:

Theres a few on here,you must have bread their posts.

There are a few who butter you up the wrong way.

Im not sure if you need a parrot or I need a parrot?

[roboxm3]

Zetec-S said:

There are 2 main ways you see this on facebook:

1) Updating their profile picture with a new pout into the camera (with plenty of filters). Elicits one word responses along the lines of "beautiful", "gorgeous", etc.
2) Posts along the lines of "only 3 days to go..."

Don't forget the "Grrrrr (" crowd, fishing for a "U OK Hun? Message me. Sending hugs" comment.

[Rawwr]

Social media is just a convenient way of finding out which of your acquaintances are vapid morons.

[RRLover]

The reason why i dont have facebork.
Bugger that

[Hoofy]

I've only recently had an Instagram account and I've discovered something that worse than selfies... it's those photos of the same people but taken by a third party. Loads of them as if they're trying to be models in GQ or Vogue. I keep having to resist posting, "I think someone's stalking you!" as it just looks so weird. The subject will be looking off to one side or down at their feet. Bizarre.

[TheJimi]

Rawwr said:

Social media is just a convenient way of finding out which of your acquaintances are vapid morons.

You’re not altogether wrong!

I don’t have facebook, but as I say, I was given a link to an acquaintance’s instagram, and up to that point, I’d been making a bit of effort in terms of conversation etc; we share very similar hobbies and interests. When I saw contents of the insta page, it really showed me the individual in a new light. After seeing page after page of what amounts to “look at me!”…urgh.

[Greshamst]

Was the link posted on a thread here by any chance... I thought the exact same thing, after clicking onto a forum members instagram he'd put up, which was mostly just pictures of himself with no top on. Hundreds of them.
Judging by the topics you post in, I reckon it might be the same person.

[MrBarry123]

Instagram is a vile place nowadays; full of people who are desperate for attention and brands desperate for exposure.

[Otispunkmeyer]

It is bad... I know people whose holiday photos are essentially pictures of themselves with the actual venue/location a mere background item. In fact, 80% of the photos could literally be anywhere as there is so much of them in the photo its difficult to tell if they really are in NYC or wherever they say they are.

Imagine showing you're kids holiday snaps.... heres 1000 identical images of my face kids! didn't we have a great time.

[TLandCruiser]

I rarely post on Facebook, I use to manually have an account for Facebook messenger group chat with my friends.

Someone on my Facebook feed posted a selfie of themselves at a funeral, saying RIP etc. Surely an old photo of her and the friend would have been better.