Facebook Study Finds Narcissistic Users Spend Most Time On Site

Social networking websites keep people connected with friends, co-workers and acquaintances. But new research suggests that online profiles can also feed narcissistic tendencies and highlights a disconnect between one's real-world personality and curated online identity.

The blog All Facebook reports the findings from a study called "Self-Presentation 2.0: Narcissism and Self-Esteem on Facebook," which investigated 100 Facebook users' profiles and analyzed the subjects' real-world personality traits.

Lead by York University psychologist Soraya Mehdizadeh, researchers randomly selected 50 male and 50 female students to participate. All Facebook describes the methodology:

[A]fter having the students answer questions about their demographics, facebook activity, self-esteem, and narcissism [...] Mehdizadeh looked at the "About Me" section, the profile photo, the first 20 pictures in the "View Photos of Me" section, the notes, and the status updates of each student, rating each page based on extent it self-promotes the user.

The results showed that students with comparatively lower self-esteem scores and higher narcissism scores not only spent spent more time on Facebook, but also tended to "self-promote" more than the students with higher self-esteem scores and lower narcissism scores. Facebook "self promotion" is described by ShockMD.com as "any descriptive or visual information that appeared to attempt to persuade others about one's own positive qualities. For instance posting 'My Celebrity Look-alikes'. Use of picture enhancement etc."

Therefore, the study concludes, a person's Facebook profile does not necessarily provide an accurate representation of the person creating the page. A user who constantly updates his or her status, obsessively uploads new photos and excessively posts or comments on others' walls, for instance, may be exhibiting narcissistic tendencies and battling issues of low self-esteem--or as All Facebook puts it, "those "cool" Facebook friends you have who keep spamming your news feed with constant information about themselves and how awesome they are may not be too awesome after all."

To read a full version of the study, "Narcissism and Self-Esteem on Facebook," click here.

Comments

[Cheryl Rae Young]

04:59 PM on 09/24/2010

Found this study very intersting and very true/telling. Here's what one observor noted...I'm quoting them (Jan'Brabelling) here:..." I've noticed some young gal, keeps posting picture after picture of herself on her FB page, its like she's screaming out for any attention "Look at ME....LOOK at ME!"...sadly, she's not very pretty, some have stated she's down right ugly!
But I gotta wonder...why does she keep posting picture after picture of herself like she does? But now I get it...she's a narsisst and very self focused. She feels pios and better than others, that only she and her small group members have it right, and everyone else is destined to hell.
But really...are those who are so self focused really following what scripture teaches regarding being humble, never draw attention to self....
how is posting picture after picture of yourself any different than wearing makeup and jewelry they shun?, I just don't understand this type thinking...."
well...I guess she's refering to me? But I've not posted picture after picture of myself, as I include others, my animals and other critters we love.
But I guess if the shoe fits...wear it! Anyone else read this study? what say you?? Lizzy

[English Cad]

11:31 AM on 08/29/2010

Ridiculous why can't people just be themselves.You wouldn't catch Cad posting anything other than the facts. It is true about the friends thing though. Why Cad has friends on there he hasn't even used yet!

[Nycnix]

07:47 PM on 08/28/2010

What if a cool dude creates a Facebook and posts cool stuff?

[Pandoramack]

08:19 AM on 08/27/2010

These findings make sense. A lot of people pump their egos by hiding behind the number of "friends" they can accumulate and how many awesome things they can post about their life through out the day. I think we all know of people who are "obsessive" about Facebook i.e. logged on multiple times of day for hours on end or checking and updating status. I belonged to the site for a year but found I was wasting too much time that I thought I could use on other endeavors. I also found that of the hundreds of friends, I only really cared to hear about the ones I was already in regular contact with via other avenues i.e. phone, email and face to face time.

[rog1112]

08:07 AM on 08/27/2010

All posts are about the poster posting a post that expresses some aspect of how they interact with a world they perceive creates themselves to the viewer of the post. Otherwise, what's the point...

[zenju2]

05:59 AM on 08/27/2010

"...But really, enough about me. What do you think about my comments?"

[NunuDudu]

05:28 AM on 08/27/2010

"Therefore, the study concludes, a person's Facebook profile does not necessarily provide an accurate representation of the person creating the page."

I didn't know Captain Obvious was conducting social experiments.

[timbo jones]

07:12 PM on 08/27/2010

hahaha

[warriorwoman73]

04:13 PM on 08/30/2010

LOL

[theworldisyours]

02:45 AM on 08/27/2010

Facebook type site are for people who can't make friends face to face. I don't care for people to know what I'm doing and where I am at all times, my friends talked me into opening a myspace and it was so disgusting how many page views I was getting a day, like nobody has a life and they just wanted to see my clubbing pics or read my burn of the day. I noticed random losers showing up where I was and fake prentending to bump into me. Don't even get me started on these friend deletion games and endless invites to join mafia wars.. wtf would I be doing playing mindless nonesense like that? Then when I was fed up with having to respond to every damn post I realized only lames have time for all this nonesense. I nver understood it to begin with, you have my number and you use it so whats the point of recaping the night for everyone to be envious. That's what it comes down to, do you want to show off or are you keeping tabs on people?

[liberalandproud72]

03:43 AM on 08/27/2010

"my friends talked me into opening a myspace and it was so disgusting how many page views I was getting a day, like nobody has a life and they just wanted to see my clubbing pics or read my burn of the day."

so you actually check how many page views you have on myspace? looks like someone is being narcissistic. it's like "binging" yourself.

"I noticed random losers showing up where I was and fake prentending to bump into me."

because you're the coolest kid on the block that's why.

[Adam Bomb]

07:23 AM on 08/27/2010

"Facebook type site are for people who can't make friends face to face."
Yeah, tens of millions of people, every single one who can't make real life friends.

"my friends talked me into opening a myspace"
'Ok guys, fine, I'll totally do it and post all my clubbing pics and my burns of the day. Sheesh, stop bothering me.'

"I noticed random losers showing up where I was and fake prentending to bump into me."
You must be completely awesome.

"when I was fed up with having to respond to every damn post I realized only lames have time for all this nonesense."
'OMG so many people require responses from me, I wish I didn't HAVE to reply to everything. Ok, I'll be a lame just long enough for me to know that what I'm doing is totally lame.'

"I nver understood it to begin with,"
....but still did it.

[Self Evident]

02:27 AM on 08/27/2010

Geez. I hope all us Huff posters aren't lumped into this narcissism thing.

LOL!

[Ryan Butters]

10:32 PM on 08/27/2010

Some certainly are. =)

[juancapez]

01:13 AM on 08/27/2010

"those "cool" Facebook friends you have who keep spamming your news feed with constant information about themselves and how awesome they are may not be too awesome after all."

figured that out a while ago...

[MamaKri]

12:13 AM on 08/27/2010

Next thing you know they will be publishing articles claiming that water is wet.

[thawalkingman]

12:52 AM on 08/27/2010

LOL so true

[Odrade]

10:36 PM on 08/26/2010

Surprise, Surprise. Not.

[jabreal00]

09:08 PM on 08/26/2010

Unfortunately, FB and other social media websites are a haven for these types of people. There are several people on my feed who post incessantly, pictures, status updates, and other inanities. Some are amusing, most are annoying. I've started hiding particularly bad offenders or just outright defriending the worst of the worst.

[wolfiegirl]

08:42 PM on 08/26/2010

"you're so vain, you probably think this post is about you...don't you...don't you!"

[juancapez]

01:13 AM on 08/27/2010

i do.

[warriorwoman73]

04:15 PM on 08/30/2010

No, you're wrong. It's about ME! ;)

[Ricardo Valentin]

08:22 PM on 08/26/2010

Nothing is more suspicious than not having a carefully curated facebook page! On the other hand all us narcisistic facebook users can lull Big Brother into thinking it really knows all that is needed to know about us.