Initially titled ‘Narcissism: How bad is it?,’ this article delved into the issue of narcissism during the digital age and under the ruling of social media. At first, it wanted to shine a positive light on the concept, but upon extensive research, it became apparent that narcissism in its true, extreme form, is never positive.
Numerous studies claim to have made direct links between the increase in Narcissist Personality Disorder and the ubiquity of social media. Behaviours such as attempting to attract more followers, wanting to tell followers about your life, and the need to project a positive image at all times have been described by researchers as examples of exhibiting narcissistic personality traits on social media. Millennials are particularly vulnerable to the potentially negative effects of social media. Young people aged 17-21 go through a necessary narcissistic stage as they seek to find their place in society and move away from their caregivers. Their experiences of this developmental phase can be unhealthily magnified by social media.
The article is based on ‘Rethinking Narcissism’ by Dr. Craig Malkin, who provides the argument that on the spectrum of narcissism, one needs to be in the middle: not too much, and not too little. However, when adding social media into the mix, the narcissism issue, especially among the millennial generation, becomes harder to ignore. The article also cites the 2015 Ohio State University study, which linked taking selfies to narcissism and psychopathy.
A lighter article on the whole, this text encourages individuals to look outside themselves and care for others more.
This was the first draft of the article pages:
The picture had to be changed after deciding the magazine will not show a woman’s full face, and the group also wanted to have the text on two full columns instead of one. At this point, the researchers decided that it is necessary they add a byline.
Second version of the narcissism article
A different picture was used for the article: that showcasing bare skin (stretch marks) without any explanation, to go with the ‘loving yourself’ theme. The researchers also changed the type face and returned to one column.
The final version of ‘The Narcissist Game’ article:
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