Facebook users 'are insecure, narcissistic and have low self-esteem'

[JohnSmith2007 353]

Facebook users 'are insecure, narcissistic and have low self-esteem'

By Mail Foreign Service

Last updated at 10:43 AM on 9th September 2010

Using Facebook is the online equivalent of staring at yourself in the mirror, according to a study.

Those who spent more time updating their profile on the social networking site were more likely to be narcissists, said researchers.

Facebook provides an ideal setting for narcissists to monitor their appearance and how many ‘friends’ they have, the study said, as it allows them to thrive on ‘shallow’ relationships while avoiding genuine warmth and empathy.

They also tend to use the site for promoting themselves to friends or people they would like to meet, the study concluded.

Researcher Soraya Mehdizadeh from York University in Canada asked 100 students, 50 male and 50 female, aged between 18 and 25 about their Facebook habits.

They all took psychology tests to measure their levels of narcissism, which the study defined as ‘a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and an exaggerated sense of self-importance’.

Those who scored higher on the narcissism test checked their Facebook pages more often each day than those who did not.

There was also a difference between men and women – men generally promoted themselves by written posts on their Facebook page while women tended to carefully select the pictures in their profile.

The findings, published in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behaviour And Social Networking, also suggested that those with low self-esteem also checked their Facebook pages more regularly than normal.

This may not be altogether surprising as it is widely thought, however contradictory it may appear, that narcissism is linked to a deep-rooted lack of self-esteem.

Miss Mehdizadeh admitted that not everyone would appreciate her findings.

She said: ‘I think people get sort of defensive about it – like, “I don’t use my Facebook for that reason” – because it’s a label that you don’t want to be slapped with.’

Facebook has more than 500million users worldwide and is the world’s biggest social networking website, but it has been involved in a number of controversies.

A study earlier this week showed that the grades of students who use Facebook while they study, even if it is only on in the background, are 20 per cent lower on average than those of non-users.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1310230/Facebook-users-narcissistic-insecure-low-self-esteem.html

[^_^ 5,021]

All 500 million of them? Wow.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Nothing beats a 'study' from a tabloid newspaper.

[Ontarkie 13,918]

Well I don't see alot of my friends on FB to fall in that category, but I sure have a few of them. One person in particular fits that category very well, she is always adding new pics saying how hot she looks in it so that is why she posted it blah blah blah....very much an attention hog. Most ppl on my FB just use it to keep on touch since they are almost all from back home. Like my mother who needs to see everything I do with the kids. My parents have always been very active in our lives so we try to keep them posted.

[JohnSmith2007 353]

Nothing beats a 'study' from a tabloid newspaper.

It is a study from researcher Soraya Mehdizadeh from York University in Canada.

[ValerieA 350]

It is a study from researcher Soraya Mehdizadeh from York University in Canada.

But the misleading headline is all tabloid...

[^_^ 5,021]

It is a study from researcher Soraya Mehdizadeh from York University in Canada.

I know people who still remember the good ol' days when a person with a name like that only showed up in the media if she was a terrorist or child rapist or embezzler. I know people who think the world has gone to hell in a handbasket!

[alienlovechild 75]

I don't understand the appeal of Facebook. Why would millions of people post details about themselves and yet so many other people are big privacy nuts?

[^_^ 5,021]

I don't understand the appeal of Facebook. Why would millions of people post details about themselves and yet so many other people are big privacy nuts?

If you learn how to use the privacy tools Facebook makes available to you, then you only share what you want with who you want.

[Anna C. 4]

Cause you put all settings to private, so only friends see your page. It makes it easy to stay in touch with friends without having to email everyone. A simple update, like hey I'm flying next week let's meet makes communication very easy and quick...

I surely have seen narcissistic people who rake up like 500 plus friends who cannot be friends by any means... and putting sexy pics on there and stuff like that.

Edited September 9, 2010 by Anna C.

[justashooter 430]

A study earlier this week showed that the grades of students who use Facebook while they study, even if it is only on in the background, are 20 per cent lower on average than those of non-users.

more likely that people who use facejerk are 20% stupider than those who don't.

[Nagishkaw 510]

facejerk

That's about accurate.

[^_^ 5,021]

Facejerk, how grown up

[Jenn! 918]

Facejerk, how grown up

People who don't use Facebook wear it like some badge of honor. Talk about narcissism.

[Ban Hammer 12,842]

some of us use it for the games.