While social media has connected the world and made it boundaryless, virtually to say, it has had its fair share of toxicity that it has introduced into the world.
That it has completely taken over the mind-space of its users and has turned them into demonstrating narcissistic behaviors online is scary, to say the least. It has the ability to take control of your life so much so that it has turned most people into narcissists without them even realize that they have become one.
It is sparing no one, leaders, families, young and old alike. All are afflicted with this toxic behavior of narcissism. There is a pattern that says it all. If you observe the way people present themselves and interact on social media will provide you with tell-tale signs of how deep this malaise has set in. A final nail in the coffin on this bitter reality is that the very same people are also talking about narcissism and narcissistic behaviors as they self-indulge.
Let’s look at 7 tell-tale signs that you are slowly or already turned yourself into an online narcissist.
Here is how you can measure? 👇👇👇
- Hypocrisy – If you find yourself starting to talk or present yourself like a politician during an electoral campaign, then you are surely showing signs. For example, how a politician says he/she cares so much about his/her people and the nation at large. Do you truly believe? Same is the case with so many who project themselves as the most ideal people in this world. Only those who are close to them know they truly are. I am sure you would have come across posts from your friends, colleagues, managers and others, proclaiming that they believe in somethings only for you to cringe at their hypocrisy.
- Playing the victim – narcissists are known to play the victim card wonderfully well to appeal to the compassion and sympathy of others. They portray themselves as innocent victims of other misdeeds and post vague, sympathy soliciting posts when they are upset with someone or do not get the attention which they strongly desire to have.
- Hollow words of praise – if you find yourselves liking and commenting on posts without really meaning it; that is exactly what a person with narcissistic tendencies does. For example, when you like a post and comment “This is absolutely fantastic share” and don’t follow it up by your action of engaging a little further as to why you found it to be a great post, then….” Aren’t you hurting the prospects of the person by liking or commenting without meaning it? By doing so aren’t you depriving the person of some real feedback? Are you not pushing the person into a world of self-deception or delusion?
- Self-promotion and bragging – Alarm bells should ring when you start seeing people proclaiming that they have crossed 1M followers and all you find them doing online is copying and pasting various quotes picked up online. Blatant plagiarism. Authentic people do not need to self-proclaim or hard-sell their popularity. These are signs of deceitful behaviour which entrap the audience in their web.
- Being empty cans – narcissists are the biggest empty cans of all. They make a lot of noise about things and lead their lives wearing their phony halos all the while betraying, deceiving, using and abusing people and shifting the blame away from themselves on to others.
- Double standards – online narcissists are those who propagate theories which they themselves do not follow or seen to be doing exactly the opposite. One such example is about all those who propagate to others about how “Money is not everything in life and people need to spend time looking inwards”. These are the very people who will be basking in all the luxuries – in your face. I saw many social media posts of celebrities, so-called leaders who were talking about how people should remain safe and wear masks and keep social distancing, only to find the very next moment they are flouting all what they were propounding a while ago.
- Abusive, defensive or violent behaviour – They become extremely defensive, abusive or violent in their social media interactions when you do not agree or provide them with a contrarian view. As with all narcissists, they also have a strong fan following who literally ‘FAN’ their toxic behaviour by defending them on social media and other platforms. All this while the narcissist would just make the initial statement and then sit back and enjoy the fun.
There could be many more, but it is important for us to understand that the toxicity of narcissistic behavior is known not just when you learn or hear about a violent outcome, it comes in subtle forms.
You might have been already afflicted by it.
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