Narcissism and the web: how are they linked? Let's say that the Web is an ideal stage for those who have delusions of grandeur that do not require a response from others. It is not about personal branding or an attempt to cope with one's own shyness. Narcissism can be healthy or pathological: in the first case, we are talking about self-esteem and self-love, while in the second case, one is incapable of loving others. Today's culture is strongly narcissistic, and the web and new media allow for the external broadcasting of an uncontrolled amount of content related to the Self.
If your life is unrewarding or if it is too rewarding, it doesn't really change much. You always have your profile picture on Facebook to fill gaps or approach what you believe to be perfection. Let me explain better. Let's start from a simple assumption: a young person's self-esteem is directly proportional to the amount of "likes" they receive daily on Facebook. Nonsense, you will say. I wish!
A practical example, to be clear. You write a post, perhaps even an intelligent one, because sometimes that happens too, and you start sitting there, in front of the computer screen, hoping for notification after notification. After half an hour, you go to the bathroom with your tablet. You read something, because you are also a serious person, but then you fall for it again: you enter Facebook, and unfortunately, you discover that the conditions of your new creation, your status, do not yet satisfy you.
An hour has already passed; you are in the library, in class, at school. "I shouldn't check on my phone too," you tell yourself, while you have already opened the application. "Yes, one comment and a number of 'likes' are enough to sustain me for at least an hour of study!"
The first step is to admit it. No one is judging you here. You suffer from a pathology, now common, especially among twenty-year-olds, called "social narcissism." Your self-esteem suffers, doesn't it? But no matter how popular you think you are on social media, no matter how many hearts you collect on Instagram, because in life, priorities are different. Understanding that while you are at a bar with friends, you should look them in the face rather than having your head bowed over Facebook, would already be a step forward, to say the least.
The first evil to eradicate is the compulsive addiction to profile pictures, photos published by oneself and others. Disorders often arise, including jealousy and envy due to greater approval on others' posts.
If only that matters in your life, you will also find strategies to obtain more consensus for your status on Facebook. First of all, one must choose an appropriate time. Usually, people choose either 3 PM, when everyone returns from lunch break and similar times, or before and during prime time. If instead you decide to upload your profile picture at four in the morning, only someone who is doing worse than you will take it into consideration. Secondly, after receiving the first few dozen likes, a comment will surely arrive. If it doesn't, steal a friend's phone and write it to yourself. Done? Good, don't respond immediately, but only when the flow of "likes" has almost stopped. You are creating a discussion to ensure that your profile picture remains in vogue among the most popular news on your friends' home pages.
A few days later, when no one is considering the photo anymore, like it yourself ("Mario Rossi likes Mario Rossi's photo"). Yes, it's loser behavior, but you are now blinded by some mania for protagonism and will gather a few more likes.
And now, the last trick, my favorite: the exchange between already established profile pictures. Have you already liked all your friends' profile pictures to ensure they return the favor? Have you used up all your ammunition for your photo and don't have any new ones? It doesn't matter, recycle the one you posted a month ago, and it will still achieve astounding success with new and old "likes." Absurdity knows no bounds. The only advice I can give you is to deactivate your profile for a while: it is the only remedy to detoxify yourself.
Researchers analyzed the emotional reactions of a group of young women between 18 and 20 years old who met face-to-face for the first time a person after having previously contacted them on a social network or without having ever contacted them before.
Well, at
contrary to what one might expect, it seems that social networks represent a paradoxical complication for those who are subject to high levels of social anxiety; recently, specialized centers have been established to deal with problems of this type and more.
It is true that addiction to social networks belongs to us, but we must always remember that these are means of communication, and we are responsible for their use.
You can also find the article on the Radio Artista Web Blog at this link: http://blog.radioartistaweb.com/narcisismo-digitale-la-patologia-dei-mi-piace/
And what do you think about digital narcissism and "likes", what value do they have for you?
Curated by Emanuele Caracci
