Selfie syndrome – How social media is making us narcissistic (infographic)

4 Dec 2013

People who use social networks Twitter and Facebook the most often are also the most narcissistic, according to a new infographic that cites results from two studies.

When it comes to Facebook, 18-25-year-old users who frequently updated their statuses, posted pictures of themselves, and used quotes or mottos to glorify themselves drew a higher narcissism score in a study that used the Narcissism Personality Inventory and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale.

College undergraduates who posted most often on Twitter also scored higher in narcissism in a University of Michigan study. Since Twitter is used, in part, to broadcast a user’s views and broaden his or her social circle, this leads him or her to over-evaluate the importance of their opinions, according to the findings.

The infographic begins by defining and providing signs of narcissism, then lists negative effects of social media, and highlights the studies on Facebook and Twitter users.

Selfie image via Shutterstock

Infographic

Tina Costanza was a journalist and sub-editor at Silicon Republic

editorial@siliconrepublic.com