We all probably know that one person who can’t stop posting selfies in the gym. It can be repetitive and quite annoying. Well, it also may be the sign of a mental disorder.
Researchers out of Brunel University found that those who carry the traits of narcissism are likely to be the same people spamming your newsfeed with pics of their “gains” and “six pack.” Narcissism is a psychological condition where individuals get pleasure from admiring themselves. Researchers surveyed more than 500 Facebook users and asked questions relating to numerous personality traits such as openness, agreeableness, neuroticism and conscientiousness.
The study discovered that narcissists also wrote more status updates about their diet and exercise routine, suggesting that they use Facebook to broadcast the effort they put into their physical appearance. It’s the gym posers who get the most likes on their posts, which ultimately gets these selfie lovers the attention they crave.
It’s also suggested that the rest of us are nice to our narcissistic friends, even though we don’t approve of their self-absorbed ways. These people may get a lot of “likes” and comments on their pictures not because of the actual content but because these friends politely offer support while secretly disliking such egotistical behaviors.
The study also discovered that those who post updates about their boyfriend or girlfriend have lower self-esteem and that those who are more conscientious tend to post more updates about their children.
I think it’s obvious that the more selfies you take, the bigger your ego. At least, there is now research to support this notion. You can blame it on social media. Seeing your friend flaunting his or her body in pictures certainly doesn’t help the situation and could make you more likely to start posting selfies yourself. I don’t think the invention of the selfie stick is helping the situation these days.
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