Study: Facebookers Are Insecure Narcissists

(Toronto, Ontario) Researchers at York University studied Facebook users and determined that the more one uses the social networking site, the more narcissistic one is.

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.

Of course, the findings are generalizations about young Facebook users which may or may not apply to older users. And, as I read recently, the average age for Facebookers is somewhere in the mid-thirties. Therefore, I suggest the study should be viewed with a touch of skepticism.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.