Narcissism is a personality trait marked by arrogance, grandiosity, entitlement, and a need for control and admiration. This issue has generated intensive debates throughout American civic life. Emerging research suggests that narcissism actually exists along a spectrum. An estimated 1% to 6% of U.S. adults—predominantly men—meet the criteria for narcissistic personality disorder. Cultural norms are changing, especially with the advent of social media and reality TV. This banal-sounding change, many psychologists believe, is driving a rise in narcissism all around America.
The self-esteem movement that sprouted up in the late 1970s is frequently blamed as one of the seeds that gave birth to this phenomenon. That self-esteem movement instilled a sense of self-worth into everyone, particularly kids, that arguably led a generation towards some narcissistic qualities. Perhaps the most telling sign of this shift is a dramatic jump in the number of young people who think they’re important and famous. While in the 1960s, only 12% of Americans said they were dissatisfied with this lack, by the 1990s that figure ballooned to 80%.
National data tell us that today’s college students are scoring higher on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory than previous generations. In reality, that number has increased by a third from the 1980s to the 2000s. These trends raise questions about the societal implications of rising narcissism and its potential effects on interpersonal relationships and mental health.
Cultural Influences on Narcissism
The cultural landscape of America has changed significantly over the last several decades. The wave of gooey voyeurism called reality television took off, ushered in by voyeur hits like Paris Hilton’s The Simple Life and Keeping Up with the Kardashians. These programs have helped erase the stigma of self-promotion and immodesty in our culture. These programs tend to glorify behaviors that exemplify narcissism thereby creating a culture which serves to perpetuate self-serving behavior.
Beyond media factors, parenting styles are another factor in the increase of narcissism. Research shows that kids whose parents are too focused on their accomplishments are at greater risk of developing narcissistic tendencies. To put it another way, this overvaluation wreaks havoc with self-esteem. Consequently, people find it difficult to understand their deficits and empathize with others’ viewpoints.
Keith Campbell, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Georgia and co-author of The Narcissism Epidemic, says “It’s a kind of a narcissistic world. As he admits, it’s hard to say that individual-level narcissism is really on the rise. At the individual level, Pam thinks that narcissism isn’t increasing. In fact, he thinks it hasn’t been going up for decades. Even though we may acknowledge this observation, various dimensions of the modern cultural moment still drip with narcissism.
The Impact of Social Media
The problem is that social media platforms have continued to magnify these narcissistic tendencies. People high in narcissism tend to display their so-called “heroic” acts on social media, giving narcissists a fertile breeding ground for their self-absorption. Each subsequent post can increase narcissistic tendencies as users seek validation from likes and comments.
Lena Derhally, a mental health professional, emphasizes the negative impact of social media on mental health: “What I’m seeing in my own practice is that people are more anxious.” She explains that constant comparison to others’ curated lives exacerbates feelings of inadequacy among users. We all measure ourselves against the lens that social media tries to project. That portrayal is usually a blurred and artificial reality.
Studies indicate that individuals high in grandiose narcissism typically report feeling as though they are around more exclusion and ostracism. Conversely, their more selfless counterparts feel those emotions much less often. This paradox underscores the complex relationship between narcissistic desire for social validation and the loneliness and social disconnection narcissists may face.
Narcissism in Leadership
The effects of increasing narcissism are not only impacting our interpersonal relationships, but our leadership and decision-making on macro levels, as well. One academic study looked at all 19 U.S. presidents. It concluded that military leaders with higher narcissism scores prolonged military engagements on the battlefield. Yet these leaders presided over an average of 613 days of bloodshed. By comparison, participants with low narcissism scores only exhibited aggression for an average of 136 days in a year.
John Harden, PhD, who conducted research at The Ohio State University, explains the motivations behind such leaders: “More narcissistic presidents tend to only exit wars if they can say they won, and they will extend wars to find a way to declare some kind of victory.” He notes that these leaders want to do a great job and look heroic. This hope leads them to pursue choices that eternally extend stalemates.
American society is changing quickly and dramatically. It’s important to look at how those modifications impact personal action, and more importantly, the cultural landscape.
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