Gountas_ Sandra Paper 298

8/13/2019 Gountas_ Sandra Paper 298

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Exploring the association between social media, narcissism, empathy, the desire for fame

and well-being.

Sandra Gountas, Curtin University; John Gountas, Murdoch University

Abstract

The use of social media is increasing across all ages and particularly in the young. At thesame time, research indicates an increase in narcissism which may have negative impacts onindividuals and society in general, for example, narcissism has a negative association withempathy and may lower satisfaction with life. Many researchers are concerned withincreasing narcissism, particularly in the young, and the use of social media. The researchexplores the association between various Social Networking Sites and variance in levels ofnarcissism. Social Networking Sites provide communications platforms that are widely used

by young people. Findings suggest that there are differences in usage and individualcharacteristics that could be used to improve social marketing communications.

Background

According to Greek Mythology, Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection and was soabsorbed by it that he could not move away and starved to death as a result. In modern times,narcissism is regarded as a clinical personality disorder causing a high level of self-absorption, exploitative, manipulative tendencies and lack of empathy (Wallace andBaumeister, 2002). At the lower level, sub-clinical narcissism is found in varying degrees innormal, mentally healthy people who share similar characteristics (Bergman et al. 2011).

Narcissists are characterised by their tendency to boast, eagerness to talk about themselvesand boost their self esteem through public glory. This has implications for personal and

business relationships. Narcissists have difficulty in developing and maintaining closerelationships associated with genuine emotional warmth and empathy. Narcissists are apt touse relationships for self-serving effects reasons and are often aggressive in their interactionwith others (Buffardi and Campbell, 2011). Furthermore, well established research indicatesthat business students are higher in narcissism than others, lower in empathy, more likely tocheat and find unethical business behaviours acceptable (Brown, Sautter, Littvay, Sautter andBearnes, 2010). A major concern indicated by longitudinal studies suggests narcissism inyoung people is increasing with each generation (Twenge, Konrath, Foster, Campbell andBushman, 2008). This may be attributed to an increased focus on self-esteem boosting and

greater opportunities to self-promote through media (Buffardi and Campbell, 2008; Youngand Pinsky, 2006). Narcissists are fame seeking and are more likely to do enjoy seeingthemselves in mass media. Narcissists are more likely to have a sense of entitlement, be self-serving and less likely to contribute to others; they are social loafers who look for fame andglory through minimal effort (Twenge et al., 2008; Wallace and Baumeister, 2002). Interest infame is increasing with around 16% of 16-19 year olds in the UK believing that they will

become famous regardless of talent (Maltby, 2010). Previous studies have indicated that ahigh desire for fame is associated with extrinsic aspirations which eventually lead todysfunctional behaviour and lower satisfaction with life (Gountas, Gountas and Moran, in

press). Technology has enabled mass communication and broadcasting via television, radioand the internet and has allowed individuals to believe that they too have a reasonable chance

at becoming famous (Learning and Skills Council 2006). Existing desires to be famous havebeen magnified and implemented by the use of technology (Choi and Berger, 2009). Reality


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television programs offer everyday people the opportunity to appear on television, and theprospect of gaining, at a minimum, their 15 minutes of fame. Prospective contestants auditionin the thousands for such programs (Maltby, Giles, Day, Quick, Linley & Langcaster-James,2008; The Age, 2005).

Social networking sites (SNS) are one such means used in attempts at gaining fame, and insome cases it has been used successfully to do so. Popular music singer Lilly Allen used thesocial networking siteMySpaceto aid in becoming a recognized singer, using the resultingattention to push herself into the spotlight. You tube has flourished as a social networking sitefor individuals to share video clips, with over 65,000 clips uploaded daily within sevenmonths of its official launch. SNSs provide an opportunity for their users to self-promote and

present themselves in a grandiose, exaggerated manner (Bergman et al. 2011; Buffardi andCampbell, 2008). The use of social network sites is a normal part of life for many these timeswhen social networking attracts millions of users worldwide (Buffardi and Campbell, 2008).Various SNSs have large numbers of active users worldwide. Facebook currently has around687 million, Twitter more than 100 million and YouTube more than two billion hits

worldwide each day (Bradshaw, 2011; Gelles, 2010). Social networking offers theopportunity for ordinary people to interact with others, for self-presentation and even a way ofconstructing a new or adapted identity (Mehdizadeh, S., 2010; Kramer and Winter, 2008;Buffardi and Campbell, 2008). Although rapid and widespread communication with othershas obvious benefits there are many concerns about potentially negative impacts associatedwith social networking; fearing that SNSs may not only provide an outlet for narcissists butmay also cause or exacerbate the condition (Bergman, Fearrington, Davenport and Bergman,2011; Twenge et al., 2008).The negative outcomes associated with narcissism previouslymentioned, including lower self-esteem, healthy self-efficacy and increased materialism(Mehdizadeh, 2010; Twenge et al., 2008; Bushman and Baumeister, 1998), which imply

potential individual and wider social impacts such as disregard for others at an individual andsocietal level. This study, explores the association between increasing narcissistic tendencies,the desire for fame and the use of social networking sites; and how these relate to selfism(narcissism), empathy, self-efficacy and satisfaction with life.

Methodology

The questionnaire was developed using existing constructs. Forty six items measureSelf-efficacy (Schwarzer and Born, 1997),Selfism (Narcissism) and Empathy (Phares andErskine, 1984) and Desire for Fame, (Gountas, Gountas and Moran, in press), Satisfactionwith Life (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, Griffin, 1985). The items were measured on a five-point

Likert scale, five representing strongly agree and one representing strongly disagree. Inaddition to gender and age, the participants were asked about their social media behaviour:whether they are regular users, which social sites they use, the time they spend each weekupdating personal pages, the importance of social networks to them and if they are happy forothers to see information about them on social networking sites.

Sample

The sample was collected online, using an existing consumer panel. The participants receiveda $5 reward for participation. The sample comprises 421 participants aged 18-30 years;180males, 242 females; 380 respondents use social media regularly with 220 spending less than

one hour per week to update their personal pages, 102 spending up to two hour 51 up to fivehours and 49 more than five hours. 266 participants agree that participating in social networks


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is very important to them, and 293 are happy for others to see their personal information.Facebook is the most popular site with 389 users, followed by YouTube with 246; LinkedInhas 35regular users, My Space 43 and Twitter 76. The questionnaire took approximately 15minutes to complete.

Findings

The data are analysed using correlations and analysis of variance to examine the relationshipsbetween the variables, motives for social network usage and if there difference in responsesaccording to the social networks used. As shown in Table 1 there is a positive correlation

between Selfism and the Desire for Fame but no significant relationship with empathy andsatisfaction with life. Empathy is positively correlated with Satisfaction with Life.

Table 1. Correlation Analysis

** sig at 0.01 level

As shown in Tables 2 and 3, there are significant differences between age groups in respect ofthe desire for fame with the youngest group 18-20 having the highest score of mean at 2.61.For gender, males score more highly than females for fame and selfism (mean = 2.95 and 3.19

respectively) than females (mean = 2.77, and 3.06 respectively). Females have a significantlyhigher mean score in empathy (mean = 3.72) than males (mean = 3.32). The respondents whoregularly use social media appear to have a higher desire for fame and empathy. Facebookusers have a higher significant score in desire for fame (mean = 2.87, and 2.33 respectively)than non-users (mean = 2.57 and 1.84 respectively). Linkedin users have higher desire forfame (mean = 2.78) than non-users (mean=2.25). My Space users have a higher significantscore in desire for fame and Selfism (mean = 3.21and 3.37 respectively) than non-users (mean= 2.81, 2.22 and 3.09 respectively). Twitter have a higher significant score in desire for fameand Selfism (mean = 3.07, 2.61 and 3.27 respectively) than non-users (mean =2.80, 2.22 and3.08 respectively).

Table 2. One-Way ANOVA: Demographic and Social Media Choice Results

Demographic and

SM Choice

Factors Sum of

Squares

df Mean

sq

F P

Age Desire for

fame

Betweengroups

7.967 2 3.983 3.521 .030

Withingroups

473.980 419 1.131

Total 481.947 421

Desire for

fameBetweengroups

12.773 1 12.773 11.434 .001

Withingroups

469.174 420 1.117

Variable M SD 1 2 3 4 51. Desire for fame 2.29 1.07 12. Selfism 3.12 .659 .287** 13. Empathy 3.55 .700 -.065 .060 14. Satisfaction with life 3.09 .842 -.063 .093 .395** 15. Self-efficacy 3.41 .676 .007 .187 .326 .502** 1


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Gender

Total 481.947 421

Selfism Betweengroups

1.736 1 1.736 4.031 .045

Withingroups

180.864 420 .431

Total 182.600 421Empathy Between

groups16.224 1 16.224 35.903 .000

Withingroups

189.784 420 .452

Total 206.008 421

Satisfaction

with life

Betweengroups

2.766 1 2.766 3.927 .048

Withingroups

295.785 420 .704

Total 298.551 421

Facebook Desire forfame

Betweengroups

7.291 1 7.291 6.452 .011

Withingroups

474.655 420 1.130

Total 481.947 421

Satisfaction

with life

Betweengroups

6.890 1 6.890 9.923 .002

Withingroups

291.660 420 .694

Total 298.551 421

Linkedin Desire forfame

Betweengroups

8.954 1 8.954 7.951 .005

Withingroups

472.992 420 1.126

Total 481.947 421

My Space Desire forfame

Betweengroups

17.002 1 17.002 15.359 .000

Withingroups

464.945 420 1.107

Total 481.947 421

Selfism Between

groups

3.038 1 3.038 7.105 .008

Withingroups

179.562 420 .428

Total 182.600 421

Twitter Desire forfame

Betweengroups

9.702 1 9.702 8.629 .003

Withingroups

472.244 420 1.124

Selfism Total 481.947 421Betweengroups

2.062 1 2.062 4.797 .029

Withingroups

180.538 420 .430


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Table 3. Mean Scores of Social Media Users and Non Users

The results in Table 4 indicate that regular users of social media have a significantly higherdesire for fame than non-users (mean = 2.34 and 1.89 respectively), significantly higherempathy than non-users (mean = 3.57 and 3.34respectively), and significantly higher

satisfaction with life than non-users (mean = 3.13 and 2.72 respectively). Those who spendmost time updating their web pages have a higher desire for fame (mean for more than fivehours = 2.78 and less than one = 2.09). Where participation in social media is important thereis a higher a higher desire for fame than no importance (mean = 2.42 and 2.07 respectively);higher empathy (mean = 3.62 and 3.43 respectively) and satisfaction with life (mean = 3.16and 2.96 respectively). Those who are happy with others seeing them on SNSs have a higherdesire for fame and empathy than those who are not happy (mean = 2.41 and 2.03 andrespectively and mean = 3.60 and 3.43 and respectively).

Table 4. One-Way ANOVA: Usage

Regular SocialMedia use Desire forfame Betweengroups 7.589 1 7.589 6.720 .010

Withingroups

474.358 420 1.129

Total 481.947 421

Empathy Betweengroups

2.107 1 2.107 4.341 .038

Withingroups

203.90 420

Total 421

Satisfaction

with life

Between

groups

6.322 1 6.322 9.086 .003

Withingroups

292.229 420 .696

Total 298.551 421

Time updating

pagesDesire for

fame

Betweengroups

24.223 3 8.074 7.373 .000

Withingroups

457.724 418 1.095

Total 481.947 421

Importance of

Participation

Desire for

fame

Betweengroups

12.247 1 12.247 10.951 .001

Withingroups

469.700 420 1.118

Variable

Facebook Linkedin My Space Youtube TwitterUsers Non-

usersUsers Non-

usersUsers Non-

usersUsers Non-

usersUsers Non-

usersDesire forfame

2.33 1.84 2.78 2.25 2.89 2.22 - - 2.61 2.22

Selfism - - 3.37 3.09 - - 3.27 3.08Empathy - - - - - - - -Satisfactionwith life

3.12 2.65 - - - - - - - -


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Total 481.947 421

Empathy

Betweengroups

3.817 1 3.817 7.930 .005

Withingroups

202.190 420 .481

Total 206.008 421

Satisfaction

with life

Betweengroups

4.069 1 4.069 5.804 .016

Withingroups

294.481 420 .701

Total 298.551 421

Public exposureDesire for

fame

Betweengroups

13.003 1 13.003 11.646 .001

Withingroups

466.943 420 1.117

Total 481.947 421

Empathy Betweengroups

2.658 1 2.658 5.490 .020

Withingroups

203.349 420 .484

Total 206.008 421

Discussion

Social networking sites serve two key purposes: the opportunity to promote oneself and tointeract with others. They are extremely popular and their popularity is still growing (Buffardiand Campbell, 2011).In spite of their usefulness there are potentially negative side effects,namely the impact and contribution to the increase in narcissism, lower self-esteem andsatisfaction with life (Mehdizadeh, 2010). This study examines these important concerns withSNS usage.

The findings indicate that the use of Twitter has the strongest relationship with the desire forfame and narcissism, followed by Facebook users. This is not to suggest that all SNS use isassociated with negative characteristics or behaviours. Narcissism is generally found to benegatively associated with empathy, yet this study indicates that SNS use is associated withempathy for some. Therefore, it is very likely that an individuals motive for SNS use is animportant factor. For example, SNSs may be an efficient way to communicate in business and

education with no intention of excessive self-promotion or absorption but with a genuineinterest in sharing information with others. For some people, participating in SNSs has apositive impact on satisfaction with life and an association with empathy, which is usuallynegatively associated with narcissism, which may reflect a benefit of greater social interactionavailable using this platform. However, there is sufficient evidence that SNSs may promotenarcissism and therefore, negative subsequent attitudes and behaviours in some which needsto be further understood (Bergman et al., 2011).

SNSs are widely used in mainstream marketing activities and are a very useful platform formany health and social marketing issues as well as profit making activities. The findings fromthis study indicate that certain concerns about social networking sites are probably well

founded and these may have wider social implications. Young males seem to have higherdesire for fame and narcissism. Therefore, further research that examines the cause and effect


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relationships between social networking motives and behaviours, impacts on individuals andsociety in general would be useful to increase existing knowledge and to develop guidelinesfor appropriate use. In spite of the many concerns about the use of SNSs, there areopportunities. Greater knowledge of SNS usage and subsequent behaviours may help socialmarketers to develop more successful communications through SNSs to address social

problems such as binge drinking, speeding and such like that are particularly high in youngpeople.

References

Bergman, S.M., Fearrington, M.E., Davenport; S.W, Bergman, J.Z. (2011). Millenials,narcissism, and social networking: What narcissists do on social network sites and why.

Personality and Individual Differences, 50, 706-711.

Brown, T.A., Sautter, J.A., Littvay, L., Sautter, A.C., & Bearnes, B. (2010). Ethics andPersonality: Empathy and Narcissism as Moderators of Ethical Decision Making in Business

Students.Journal of Education for Business,85, 203-208.Buffardi, L.E.; Campbell, W. K. (2008). Narcissism and Social Networking Web Sites.

Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,34, 1303-1314.

Bushman, B.J., & Baumeister, R. F. (1998), Threatened egotism, narcissism, self-esteem, anddirect and displaced aggression: Does Self-love or self-hate lead to violence?Journal of

Personality and Social Psychology,75(1) 219-229.

Choi, C.G., & Bergman, R. (2010). Ethics of Celebrities and Their Increasing Influence in21st Century Society.Journal of Business Ethic,91 (3), 313-318.

Diener, E, Emmons, R A, Larsen, R J,& Griffin, S (1985). The Satisfaction With Life Scale.Journal of Personality Assessment,49 (1), 71-75.

Gountas, J., Gountas, S., and Moran, L. (In Press). The Desire for Fame: Scale Developmentand Association with Personal Goals and Aspirations,Psychology and Marketing.

Kramer, N.C.; Winter, S. (2008). The Relationship of Self-Esteem, Extraversion, Self-Efficacy, and Self-Presentation Within Social Networking Sites.Journal of Media

Psychology, 20 (3), 106-116.

Maltby, J. (2010). An interest in fame: Confirming the measurement and empiricalconceptualization of fame interest.British Journal of Psychology,101, 411-432.

Maltby, J., Day, L., Giles, D., Gillett, R., Quick, M., Langcaster-James, H.,James; Linley, P. A. (2008). Implicit Theories of a Desire for Fame. Brittish Journalof Psycholog,99, 279-92.

Mehdizadeh, S. (2010). Self-Presentation 2.0: Narcissism and Self-Esteem on Facebook.Cyberpsychology,Behaviour and Social Networking,13(4), 357-364.

Phares, E. J.; Erskine, N. (1984). The Measurement of Selfism. Educational andPsychological Measurement, 44, 597-608.

Schwarzer, R.; Born, A. (1997). Optimistic self-beliefs: Assessment of general perceivedself-efficacy in thirteen cultures. World Psychology,3(1-2), 177-190.


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Twenge, J. M., Konrath, S., Foster, J. D., Campbell, W. K.; Bushman, B. J. (2008). EgosInflating Over Time: A Cross Temporal Meta-Analysis of the Narcissistic PersonalityInventory.Journal of Personality,76(4), 875-901.

Wallace, H.M.; Baumeister, R.F. (2002). The performance of narcissists rises and falls withperceived opportunity for glory.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,82, 819-34.

Young, S.M.; Pimksy, D. (2006). Narcissism and Celebrity.Journal of Research inPersonality,40, 463-471.

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