Are men who take selfies narcissistic?

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Are men who take selfies narcissistic?

If you step outside your house and make a trip to the mall, the grocery store or a restaurant, you will probably witness someone taking a selfie. A recent study discovered some interesting personality traits of these selfie takers.

Researchers at The Ohio State University asked 800 men between the ages of 18 to 40 to complete a personality questionnaire and answer questions about their habits when it comes to posting photos online. They found that those who posted more online photos of themselves scored higher on measures of narcissism and psychopathy.

Additionally, those who edited their selfies before posting also scored higher for narcissism as well as self-objectification (how much they value their appearance).

“It’s not surprising that men who post a lot of selfies and spend more time editing them are more narcissistic, but this is the first time it has actually been confirmed in a study,” said Jesse Fox, lead study author and assistant professor of communication at The Ohio State University. “The more interesting finding is that they also score higher on this other anti-social personality trait, psychopathy, and are more prone to self-objectification.”

According to Sarah Katula, an advanced practice nurse at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, Ill, being in a relationship with a narcissistic person can be very difficult because your feelings, wishes and wants are not considered.

“When someone is truly struggling with the disorder they do not recognize it because they have built a defense around the hurt and the wounding that occurred earlier on that left them with chronic low self-esteem,” says Katula. “These defenses include not being able to empathize with others, seeing one’s self as more important, more beautiful and smarter than they are.”

She also recommends that a potential narcissist, or anyone involved with one, evaluate the action and see if it is a problem.