Due to the popularity of SNS, people can quickly deliver all types of news around the world, and they can communicate with others all over the world about different issues. SNS does not simply manage personal connections, but also play an important economic role because they are used as marketing tools. In this way, SNS wields a large influence on our consumption decisions. However, there are side effects and problems of using SNS. The modern-day narcissism is one of such problems.

 

Narcissism is derived from Greek and Roman mythology. A man named Narcissus, who was strikingly handsome, fell in love with his own reflection in a pond. Not realizing that it was merely an image, he became attached to it and ended up drowning. Based on this myth, narcissism refers to having too much interest in and admiration for oneself. In SNS, people’s daily lives are exposed to others. This drives people’s desire for wanting others to see their posts. In response, they embellish their lives to gain popularity, make themselves look better, and eventually fall in love with their false self.

 

Even though there are positive aspects to narcissism such as enhancing self-confidence, it is rarely encouraged. Some people enjoy showing off their high-priced belongings, but others view this as mere pretentiousness. One of the dangers for those who do this is that they could get confused by the fake personas they have crafted for themselves and, in the end, choose it for their real self. This may lead to personality disorders when they unexpectedly face their real egos.

 

Loving oneself does not cause great problems, but extreme egoism can lead to negative effects. For example, a person who is confused about their existence in their own world could become out of touch with reality. Sometimes, Internet ulzzangs, who are famous for being good-looking online, appear on television programs. Often their real appearance does not match the one they show on the Internet. Such ulzzangs use Photoshop to enhance their photos and to gain popularity. But in deluding others, they delude themselves as well.

 

On SNS for instance, people tend to be too conscious about the numbers of likes their posts receive and become obsessed with the number of their friends and followers. They want to be envied for their photos of happy moments, even if they are only pretending to be content. It is not mentally healthy to cling to the number of comments, the number of friends in SNS and the number of likes your posts and tweets receive. Instead, pursuing true friendship with real people is more important. Do not try to be pretentious and show off fake impressions online. Just feel the happy moment. It is better to be satisfied with oneself in reality by putting more effort into developing one’s self than feeling a false superiority.