By Dr. Anthony Policastro
Psychology Today a few years ago had an article on social media use. They specifically looked at the differences between individual users and those who used it because they had narcissistic tendencies.
We all have personality traits. I am by nature obsessive-compulsive about doing things. For example, my weekly articles are usually sent in several days before the deadline.
Personality traits are common. We all have them. They tend to have us do certain behaviors repeatedly. They are not usually harmful.
The second level of traits is what is known as the problem level. These are traits that under certain circumstances tend to create some issues for the individual. However, most of the time they are not an issue. Someone with an obsessive compulsive problem might have to complete something before leaving the house. That then makes them late for another engagement.
The highest level of traits is the disorder. These individuals have traits that are all encompassing. The individual with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder finds getting through the day difficult because of all their obsessions.
Psychology Today found five features that suggested someone has a narcissistic personality trait. Thus, a narcissistic personality trait is far different than a Narcissistic Personality Disorder. But they are all on the same spectrum and over time one can move from one level to another.
The five traits that Psychology Today had for those with narcissistic traits should come as no surprise.
The first is related to selfies. We all take them. However, narcissists tend to take more of them than others. They often take more selfies than they do photos of other things. They also tend to comment on others’ selfies. That is almost a way of asking for a positive comment about their own.
The second is a tendency to post whole body pictures in addition to selfies. They might want to show a workout at the gym. They might want to show a bikini picture.
The third is wanting to get a large audience. Internet “influencers” often brag about how many followers they have. Last April one 24-year-old law student committed suicide because she did not reach her goal for the number of followers. They know exactly how many followers they have. They track that number seriously.
The fourth is something called “trolling”. They raise themselves up by putting others down. They might make comments to get others angry. They get highly upset and try to retaliate if someone makes negative comments about them. Men tend to be cyberbullies.
The fifth is that they tend to crave fame. Therefore, there is a tendency to use their follower numbers to try to get advertisers to use them. Thus, they can get even more visibility.
Most people use social media for communication with others. They keep up with friends. However, there is a group of individuals who see social media as a means to an end. They consider themselves important and want everyone else to think that as well.