Narcissus is feeling reflective today
Narcissus, by Michelangelo Caravaggio, ca. 1598.
“In the future, everyone will be … famous for 15 minutes” Warhol 1968
The age of "celebrity" bread reality television – now everyone can experience their “15 Minutes” (or seconds/hours/days) with the role of social networking.
A fellow student confidently reported that she had over 800 “friends” on Facebook – when quizzed, she did not refer to them as acquaintances, mates, colleagues, contacts – they were her “friends”!
Perhaps I am being a little unfair – perhaps I am revealing my own narcissistic qualities given that my Facebook friend-list is in double figures, and I have no desire to increase the numbers.
It did make me think:
Does Social Networking Breed Narcissm?
At the San Diego State University, Associate Professor in Psychology Jean Twenge, believes that social networking has had a direct effect on a “generation’s identity”. Her investigation (in conjuction with YouPoll.com) questioned over a thousand University students aged between 18-23. Two thirds thought that their generation was more narcissistic and that social networking had played a part in this. Facebook was creating “not just confident but over-confident” people. She identified the positives of social networking but also the negative: “[the] potential downside is they do tend to focus on certain parts of people personalities”
Interestingly, the findings established “self-centred narcissists have more friends”. With 94% of students at the San Diego State University accessing Facebook, she posed the question: is “identity being shaped” by social networking.
Mike Elgan, writing for infoworld.com considers whether social networking may be “interfering with the natural process of growing up”. With the ability to “constantly maintain contacts with peers”, there is no need to broaden social skills; to relate to people of different ages, backgrounds etc?
http://www.infoworld.com/d/mobilize/does-mobile-and-social-technology-breed-narcissism-830
In Matt Hills Case Study: Social networking and self-identity (Digital Cultures, Understanding New Media 2009 p120), he considers whether image capture may be “culturally evolving” – creating “altered and increasingly ‘photographic’ conceptions of self image. "
Following on from this, I found:
http://www.tgdaily.com/consumer-electronics-features/43619-samsung-touts-dualview-cameras-for-narcissistic-social-networkers
The DualView camera can recognise up to 10 faces, lighting them in the best way etc. This technology surely stems from the military? Am I the only one who thinks that this is Big Brother disguised as Narcissism?
Vlogdriver questions whether there is really anything wrong with focussing "on yourself to the exclusion of others”.
“Sites like [Twitter/Facebook] could not exist if people didn’t care what people were doing”
Is this really justification or is Vlogdriver also part of this “Narcisissm epidemic”?
“Narcissists function well in the context of shallow relationships” – Buffardi and Campbell state in their paper: Narcissism and Social Networking Web Sites.
“Owners have complete control over self-presentation on Web pages, unlike most other social contexts.”
Selection of “attractive photographs” and “self descriptions that are self-promoting” are the norm of social networking and “viewers utilize page content to form impressions of owners’ personalities”
They conclude that “often the real draw is the ability to maintain large numbers of relationships”. This way of “interaction and self-presentation” has become the norm, and forms part of peoples’ daily lives
http://psp.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/34/10/1303
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Narcissism and Social Networking Webt Sites July 3 2008 Laura E Buffardi and W Keith Campbell
If social networking were taken away tomorrow, I have to quote the Facebook Song: “I’d carry around a picture of my face and a summary of me typed out on a page”
Narcissistic V is going to seek out shiny surfaces that smile back!
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