Relationship between Narcissism and Selfie Posting Behavior; Mediating Role of Loneliness and Self-esteem among Adolescents

Abstract

Narcissism is characterized by an abnormally high sense of self-importance that leads to different mental health issues. The current study was aimed at observing the mediating role of loneliness and self-esteem between narcissism and selfie-posting behavior among adolescents. To examine the psychometric properties of scales, a sample of 300 students was collected and further divided into two groups of male (n = 193) and female (n = 107) participants by using a convenient sampling strategy. The age range of participants was from 18 to 35 years old. Urdu-translated versions of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory by Raskin and Hall (1988), the Selfitis Scale by Amna Amjad (2017), the UCLA Loneliness Scale by Russell, Peplau, and Cutrona (1980), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale by Rosenberg (1965) were used to analyze the constructs of this study. The findings of the current study show a significant relationship between variables such as narcissism that is positively correlated with selfie-posting behavior, loneliness, and self-esteem. Regression analysis revealed that narcissism significantly predicts selfie-posting behavior. Mediation analysis shows the significant mediation of loneliness between narcissism and selfie-posting behavior. Mediation results are non-significant in the case of self-esteem. The implications of the current study suggest the need for interventions to deal with loneliness and alleviate the potentially detrimental effects of narcissism on the behaviors associated with selfie posting. These interventions may encourage healthy online behaviors among adolescents by encouraging social bonds and lowering loneliness. Further limitations of the study are discussed, and suggestions for future research are provided.