This mobile habit can reveal a narcissist right away

Research shows that people with narcissistic trends are at greater risk of developing mental health problems, experiencing difficulties in relationships and fighting abuse of drugs.

A new study has now revealed an easy way to identify narcissistic trends – in yourself or people close to you – namely by noticing if the person uses social media forcibly and has difficulty stopping.

These two traits, according to researchers from the University of Gdańsk in Poland, point to the person suffering from dependence on social media. The researchers wanted to find relationships between different forms of narcissism and dependence on social media.

They therefore conducted two survey among 665 people using social media every eight months. The results showed that people with certain narcissistic features were more likely to be dependent on social media. That’s what British Media Daily Mail writes.

Some traits – such as fullness (desire to be admired), rivalry (need to compete) and the quest for recognition – were particularly widespread in those who were dependent.

Other features – such as hostility (anger towards others) and isolation (to keep distance) – became more pronounced, the more the use of social media increased. It indicates that these traits can be a side effect of addiction.

The researchers believe that the context is because narcissists are often absorbed by their image, and many social media is precisely about how others perceive one.

The researchers highlight a number of consequences of dependence on social media, including:

Symptoms of addiction include:

• Compulsory checking

• Inability to reduce use, despite negative consequences

• Emotional dependence on online interactions

This kind of addiction is most prevalent in people with low self -esteem, loneliness and fear of missing out on something (FOMO), the researchers wrote in the journal Journal of Research in Personality.

In the study, they examined six forms of narcissism: admiration, rivalry, hostility, isolation, fullness and exaltation. They found that all types of narcissism – except exaltation (self -promotion) – were associated with dependence on social media.

How widespread is narcissism?

According to a 2024 study conducted by the University of Cambridge, almost half of British teens feel that they are dependent on social media and about one in eight adults suffer from some form of behavioral addiction – including excessive internet use.

It is estimated that about 1 in 20 people in a country like Britain has diagnosed narcissistic personality disorder, but the number of people with narcissistic features is unknown.

Narcissists can be manipulative, controlling, unstable and emotionally offensive. They may fail to show love and compassion to their partner or children.

Another study that was publicly publicized in the journal Frontiers in Psychology even found a connection between narcissism and meat eating – especially in people justifying it with hierarchical arguments such as ‘people are at the top of the food chain’.

The researchers theorized that narcissists’ preference for meat comes from the ‘Dark Triad’ personality traits associated with negative attitudes to animals.