Bach Seat

Social media sites such as Facebook (FB) and Twitter are a narcissist magnet, according to recent study from the University of Michigan. The U-M researchers published their results online in Computers in Human Behavior.

TechEye says the Michigan researchers found that college students and their adult counterparts use social media in differing ways to bolster their egos and control perceptions of others, the report suggests. Elliot Panek, a University of Michigan researcher said that social networking is about making your image, how you are seen, and also checking on how others respond to this image.

College-age students love using Twitter to make their opinions and views seem important. He told CBC News that college students social media tool of choice is the megaphone of Twitter. “Young people may over evaluate the importance of their own opinions,” Professor Panek said. “Through Twitter, they’re trying to broaden their social circles and broadcast their views about a wide range of topics and issues.”

Adults who show narcissism tend to prefer Facebook, which works in the same way. Middle-aged adults usually have already formed their social selves and they use social media to gain approval from those who are already in their social circles. According to Mr. Panek, Facebook serves narcissistic adults as a mirror. “It’s about curating your own image, how you are seen, and also checking on how others respond to this image,” he said.

So what’s wrong with being a little narcissistic? Plenty. The traits associated with the disorder can stunt the development of close, long-term relationships. What’s more, highly narcissistic people are more likely to react aggressively to criticism and to carry out actions that promote themselves at the expense of others. On the upside, narcissism also correlates with higher self-esteem and low anxiety

Those findings confirm the conventional wisdom that Twitter is the more youthful, millennial, me-centric social network. Facebook is the province of older people who like to showcase pictures of pasta dishes or post status updates about their kids. We’d hazard to say it’s a crutch for people who can’t get out of the house much, but still, seek validation from their peers. Incidentally, the median age of Facebook users has risen from 38 to 41 over the last few years, according to various social media studies. A recent spate of alarmist headlines suggested that teenagers may, in fact, be ditching Facebook.

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Related articles

• Do Narcissists Use Twitter and Facebook More Than Other People? (news.health.com)

Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.