A study conducted among post-secondary school and university students in Romania has revealed that individuals exhibiting pronounced narcissistic traits are more likely to experience elevated levels of nomophobia, which is the discomfort or annoyance experienced when without a mobile phone or when unable to use it. These individuals also showed a higher tendency towards social media addiction, and this addiction played a mediating role in the relationship between narcissism and stress symptoms. The study was published in the Journal of Psychology.
Narcissism is a personality trait characterized by a grandiose sense of self-importance, a preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success or power, a belief in one’s own unique and special qualities, a constant need for excessive admiration, a lack of empathy for others, and a sense of entitlement. Individuals with narcissistic traits often display a strong desire for attention and admiration, seeking to be the center of attention in social situations.
Narcissism can be said to consist of two components – grandiosity and vulnerability. Narcissistic grandiosity refers to an inflated and exaggerated sense of self-importance and superiority, while narcissistic vulnerability pertains to an underlying fragility, hypersensitivity to criticism, and fear of inadequacy beneath the surface bravado of individuals with narcissistic traits.
Recent studies have identified a correlation between narcissistic grandiosity and problematic social media use. Social media platforms offer distinctive opportunities for narcissistic individuals to satisfy their need for attention, motivating them to dedicate more time and effort to their online presence and activities.
With these findings in mind, study authors Alexandra Maftei and Acnana-Maria Pătrăușanu aimed to investigate the connections between narcissism, stress, nomophobia, and social media addiction. They hypothesized that individuals with more pronounced narcissistic traits would exhibit more symptoms of social media addiction and nomophobia, experiencing discomfort or annoyance when without their phones or unable to use them. They also posited that higher levels of social media addiction and nomophobia would correlate with increased stress levels.
The study’s participants included 394 post-secondary school students and 165 university students from Eastern Romania. Recruited through in-class announcements, they were invited to partake in an online survey. The final sample comprised 559 participants aged between 18 and 45 years.
The participants completed assessments measuring narcissism (using the Narcissistic Personality Inventory), stress (using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale), symptoms of social media addiction (using the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, for example, “How often during the last year have you used social media so much that it has had a negative impact on your job/studies?”), and nomophobia (using the Nomophobia Questionnaire, for instance, “I would feel uncomfortable without constant access to information through my smartphone”).
Results showed that individuals with more pronounced narcissism tended to have greater social media addiction symptoms and higher nomophobia. Individuals with more pronounced social media addiction and higher nomophobia also tended to report higher stress levels.
The study authors tested a statistical model suggesting that the relationship between narcissism and stress is mediated through social media addiction and nomophobia. The findings supported this model, indicating that the connection between narcissism and stress is explained by these two factors. The study also found that younger individuals were more likely to exhibit heightened levels of nomophobia and narcissism.
“The most important finding of the present study is related to the mediating roles of social media addiction and nomophobia on the link between narcissism and stress. As hypothesized, individuals high in narcissism might be more prone to develop these behavioral addictions, which would further lead to increased stress levels,” the study authors concluded.
While the study contributes valuable insights into the connections between narcissism, social media use, and stress, it also has limitations that must be acknowledged. Notably, the study’s design precludes drawing any cause-and-effect conclusions from the data. Furthermore, since the majority of the participants were young, the results may not be generalizable to different age groups and demographics.
The paper, “Digital Reflections: Narcissism, Stress, Social Media Addiction, and Nomophobia”, was authored by Alexandra Maftei and Acnana-Maria Pătrăușanu.
