Why is society, especially younger people, becoming more Narcissistic? And what does this mean for marketing?

There’s a lot of chat about the ‘cult of me’ - people seeking fame and recognition. It seems to be second nature to Millenials (often referred to as the ‘Me Me Me Generation’) and especially to Gen Z.

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Are we living in a society that is less about others and more about self? Or is this just another pumped-up media myth?

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Ironically, recent research has also shown that Gen Z feels isolated and lonely.

According to Kian Bakhtiari in a recent WARC podcast (he’s the founder of The People and author of Marketing for Social Change) young people are more inclined to be seeking community.

So what is true? Or is it less black or white?

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Narcissistic tendencies are certainly on the rise as some young people seek high self-esteem and are more concerned with what others think of them. Especially on social media.

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Self-image, self-satisfaction, and self-belief have become dominant factors. One eminent psychologist (on LBC) believes this is leading to women having no children so they can live a more self-centred life. It’s also a reason people are settling down later in life.

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Scores on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) have increased significantly among American college students since as far back as the 1980s.?

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The use of personal pronouns like "I" and "me" has increased dramatically across social media, like Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, which encourages users to seek recognition and even fame. These platforms fuel narcissism.

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But we have also seen media, especially TV, cultivating instant celebrity status through programmes like Love Island, Big Brother, Made in Chelsea, The Only Way is Essex and even Traitors.

But social media is not only to blame, although it is a massive contributor, psychologists also point out that a change in parenting methodology has contributed to a spoilt brat culture, creating kids who feel entitled.

Schools have cultivated a false belief that there are no losers, we are all winners. Society teaches us that success means we get treated like gods.

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As a psychological condition, Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is characterised by an inflated sense of self-importance (a big ego), a sense of entitlement, an excessive need for constant admiration, and a diminished ability to empathise with other people's feelings (sociopath). They can also be very manipulative and need to control others. The profile of most influencers?

As a mental condition, it is not that common, but among psychologists, there is a concern that people are adopting similar behaviours, and becoming ‘Social Narcissists’.?

According to psychologist Prof Gwendolyn Seldman, there are 3 types of narcissistic behaviour:

? Leadership / authority - involves a desire to take charge and think one is a good leader.

? Grandiose / exhibitionism - involves wanting to be the centre of?attention?and seeing oneself as superior to others.

? Entitlement / exploitativeness - involves the belief that one deserves special treatment and a willingness to manipulate others for one's own gain.

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Some may sight a number of well-known people like Donald Trump and Elon Musk as examples. Add to that prima donnas like Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Madonna and influencers like Andrew Tate and Joe Rogan.

Famous narcissists from history include Hitler, Stalin and Genghis Khan, plus a few current world leaders too.

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So what does this mean for marketing?

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Before you jump to the assumption that the whole of society are becoming narcissists, they are not, it’s a minority (maybe less than 15%).

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And as Bakhtiari points out, there is no one Gen Z type, but many variants within the 2 billion population.

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There are far more who adopt an opposite attitude – concerned with others, communities and society as a whole. As well as the planet. (Narcissists don’t care about People or the Planet, just themselves.)

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As a Social Impact specialist, I endorse this view. Stay focused on the bigger picture, and don’t pander to their inflated egos, even if they have many followers – most are shallow anyway.

If you do want to pander to them, especially influencers, beware, they see themselves as far more important than your brand – they think you need them, not that they need you.

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My advice – while it’s a popular media subject, try not to be drawn into the dubious claims. Focus on people, communities and society and you’ll do better than focusing on big egos.

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Brands that embrace creating a positive impact for people, communities and society will do better than those that embrace narcissism.

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Chris Arnold is a Dr of Business and specialist in Social Impact strategy and communications, helping brands be more authentically ethical and conscientious. He has worked with many of the World’s top brands. He is co-founder of Creative Orchestra, The Garage Innovation Lab, Dyversity Lab, CONNECT2 and My Social Impact .org

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It’ll help your employees better understand social responsibility and impact upon people, communities and society, and how to relate it to the important SDGs.

Contact: Chris Arnold

email: [email protected] tel/text/WA: 07778 056686

Kian Bakhtiari

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