Social networking sites prove to be haven for insecure narcissists

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: A new study has revealed that social networking sites like Facebook are proving to be a haven for insecure narcissists.

These kind of sites provide an ideal environment for insecure narcissists to promote themselves and seek the admiration on a large scale.

For the study, the researchers from University of Florence in Italy sought to find what type of narcissists were at higher risk for social networking addiction through a survey of 535 students.

The researchers found that vulnerable narcissists, who tend to be insecure and have lower self-esteem, are more likely to feel safer in online versus face-to-face interactions, which might lead them to prefer social networking as a means to gain approval and admiration. 

In contrast, grandiose narcissists, who tend toward arrogance and exhibitionism are likely to seek out admiration more openly, rather than through social media.

The researchers said that no significant differences in social networking addiction were found between grandiose narcissists and non-narcissists.

(With IANS inputs)