Are You A Narcissist Just Because You Like To Talk About Yourself Online?
DETROIT (WWJ) - So you post a lot about yourself on Facebook or Twitter ... are you a narcissist?
According to a new University of Michigan study that may just be the case.
Researcher Elliot Panek says middle-aged narcissists were found to post more frequent updates on Facebook, while narcissist college students post more on Twitter.
"Indeed we did find there was a connection between the frequency with which people posted on these sites and narcissism," said Panek. "Posting on these sites is often associated with a sense of superiority, that's a component of narcissism — thinking that you are better than other people."
Panek told WWJ's Sandra McNeil that it confirms a trend noted in other studies that since the early 1990s narcissism has been increasing in the college population.
"What we have is this kind of connection between between narcissism and frequent posting, so I think this opens the door for more research and more kind of specifying what the relationship between these two variables is," said Panek.
Panek said the study shows that young adults are posting to show off their thoughts ... while older adults on Facebook are looking for approval from those already in their social circle.
Panek said the U of M study asked nearly 600 people about their Facebook and Twitter use and gave them a personality test. Participants included 486 college undergraduates and 93 adults with an average age of 35.
