As research on the connection between narcissism and social networking site (SNS) use grows, definitions of SNS and measurements of their use continue to vary, leading to conflicting results. To improve understanding of the relationship between narcissism and SNS use, as well as the implications of differences in definition and measurement, we examine two ways of measuring Facebook and Twitter use by testing the hypothesis that SNS use is positively associated with narcissism. We also explore the relation between these types of SNS use and different components of narcissism within college students and general adult samples. Our findings suggest that for college students, posting on Twitter is associated with the Superiority component of narcissistic personality while Facebook posting is associated with the Exhibitionism component. Conversely, adults high in Superiority post on Facebook more rather than Twitter. For adults, Facebook and Twitter are both used more by those focused on their own appearances but not as a means of showing off, as is the case with college students. Given these differences, it is essential for future studies of SNS use and personality traits to distinguish between different types of SNS, different populations, and different types of use.
There has been a dramatic rise in the use of social networking sites (SNS) such as Facebook and Twitter over the past several years. SNS currently account for nearly one quarter of the total time spent online, and almost 80% of Internet users report some SNS use (Comscore, 2011). These sites have become one of the primary venues in which people interact with one another, establish their identities and friendships, and influence peers. This has attracted considerable scholarly attention, much of it devoted to investigating relationships between psychological traits and the use of such sites. A growing number of these studies focus on how narcissism and behavior on SNS are related (Bergman et al., 2011, Ong et al., 2011 and Ryan and Xenos, 2011), surmising that such sites may be products of and/or contribute to a growing culture of self-centeredness, particularly among college students.
In fact, cross-temporal meta-analyses of narcissism and empathy levels among college students over the past three decades have found decreases in empathic concern (i.e., sympathy for the misfortunes of others) along with increases in narcissism (Konrath et al., 2011 and Twenge et al., 2008). Though these trends pre-date the popularization of SNS, the rate of decline in empathic concern has accelerated since 2000 (Konrath, O’Brien, & Hsing, 2011), prompting researchers to speculate that the rise of SNS may have enabled narcissistic individuals to seek veneration on a grander scale than would otherwise be feasible (Konrath, O’Brien, & Hsing, 2011).
Narcissism is a complex construct and represents multiple traits, indicative of both healthy and unhealthy behaviors (Kubarych, Deary, & Austin, 2004) that may explain the motivations behind SNS use. Therefore, conceptualizing narcissism as just a single construct might cause us to misunderstand the ways in which SNS are used to satisfy various psychological needs. Research has in fact already begun to examine how unhealthy components of narcissistic personality relate to behavior on Facebook (Carpenter, 2012).
The current study pursues this line of research by investigating how both healthy and unhealthy components of narcissism inform Facebook and Twitter use. We proceed by first discussing narcissism and how it relates to SNS use. Treating all SNS as a single concept rather than differentiating among specific types of SNS such as Twitter and Facebook may elide important differences in motivations people have for using SNS. Therefore, key differences in the affordances of Facebook and Twitter relevant to narcissism research are then discussed, highlighting the ways in which the observed association between narcissism and SNS use may change depending on the type of SNS platform used and the behavior assessed.
