Comments on: Are People with alot of “Friends” on Facebook Narcissists?

By: James Ray

James Ray — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 06:09:06 +0000

I just think that if the study provoked such an angry response, then it’s even more likely true that these people are in fact narcissists. If the study didn’t have an ounce of truth to it, the guy in the video wouldn’t have that kind of reaction. Interesting…

By: Hank

Hank — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:25:04 +0000

Yeah, I agree fully. That article was Grade-Z journalism at its finest. I personally love the part about how narcissists are more likely to “chose more glamorous photographs” of themselves.

Yes Ki Mae – I’m sure the non-narcissists on Facebook are posting the ugliest pictures they can find of themselves. How dare people post photos that make them look good!

By: stetoscope

stetoscope — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:46:29 +0000

To manage a journalist is really an art. PR agencies sell that skill quite well.
Welcome to the ancient medias’ world.

By: Emily Oettinger

Emily Oettinger — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:04:23 +0000

I saw the recent study by the University of Georgia about the correlation between narcissism and number of Facebook friends, wall posts, and pictures. As an avid Facebook user myself, I cannot say that reading this news was surprising because I believe that many of the researchers doing these studies are not part of the generation that takes full advantage of social-networking tools, so they therefore do not completely understand its use. I decided to do more research into the matter and came across the ABC article in which you were quoted. Upon first read, I was surprised to hear of someone with so many Facebook friends, as I have not seen this first hand, but reading your post made a few things more clear. You say you met “95% of the speakers [you] brought to speak at the Boston College Entrepreneur Society between [your] junior and senior year.” This seems like a legitimate reason to have so many Facebook friends: you want to reach out to as many people as possible with a common interest–entrepreneurship, I presume– in attempt to find the few that will show interest in coming to speak with your society.

You mention that one should not “talk about narcissism without talking about influence,” alluding to the great impact you have had on others. Do you think that is a little bit narcissistic? Even if that comment appears a bit conceited, your friend made some interesting points in the video: he says that social-networking sites are a way to “sell” yourself, and that we “sell” ourselves on and offline everyday. This is a valid point; with job opportunities so competitive today, we must market ourselves. Because potential employers do look at sites like Facebook pages, it is important that we represent ourselves in the best way possible.

This study may have been improved by also having participants judge themselves on the same narcissism scale by which they judged others, and further compared those ratings to their own Facebook pages. More than narcissism, this study seems to be about the judgment we place on others, when we should also consider our own behaviors and the ways in which we are ourselves perceived.

By: Dorie Morgan

Dorie Morgan — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 12:19:58 +0000

I love how the survey results are concluded with 130 users. That’s it? Go to a major campus and most sorority and fraternity chapters will have at least 150 members. Those people will all have hundreds to thousands of facebook friends – and they may or may not narcissists.

This reporter was grasping at straws to write an article. And it shows.