What’s happening in our world today? It seems that more and more people are turning into narcissists.

Whether it’s an increasing obsession with themselves, or a desire for control—it’s there…

…and it’s very scary.

Society itself is burdened with so much responsibility, and I don’t think the world is ready to ask the questions I’m about to answer.

If you want to know why, let’s start together. However, I warn you—it’s not pretty!

Narcissist

We all know them by now, don’t we?

A narcissist is the person we all want to avoid, but some of us are drawn to them, as if pulled into a black hole.

There’s an attraction to them that seems so magical, and before we know it, we’re sucked into a deep vortex, with no clear way out in sight.

They’re infatuated with their own self-importance.

They’re always right.

And they’re also always the victim.

They hate a challenge.

They live for validation from others.

They are insecure, extremely jealous people.

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They love to stir up drama, then pretend it’s nothing to do with them.

They love to show off.

So why are these people becoming more and more prominent in today’s society?

What’s causing this narcissistic boom?

Just look at how easy it is to put yourself out there.

If narcissists want to show off, they no longer have to rely entirely on the people around them.

Suddenly, Daisy and Mike at the office can have 2,000 Instagram followers or 500 Facebook friends.

Suddenly, all they connect with are their few neighbors on platforms where they post photos of themselves and brag about them to the world.

See how easy it is?

Help: My life is awesome! Let’s tell (literally) millions of people!

Why the rise?

Well, it’s easy.

There’s nothing hard about posting online.

There’s nothing difficult about seeing content that gets a lot of likes and followers, and trying to beat them at their own game.

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There’s nothing difficult about branding yourself in all the top-rated places possible.

It’s open to anyone to explore—and more and more people are falling into the narcissistic trap.

Society: Present vs. Past

Okay, before you think I’m taking you back to prehistoric times, I want to tell you that I’m not a fossil!

However, I remember a society before our current one, and it was very different.

People talked. They listened. They didn’t see a photo opportunity at the dinner table. They just sat, looked at their companions, and ate.

There was never a need to worry about, “I have to tell people online about this moment because it will show them how wonderful, kind, gentle, and compassionate I am.”

There were certainly no filters; we pretended to people that our lives were better than everyone else’s.

At best, we had photo albums that we would take out at Christmas and show families our holidays that year.

Now?

Everything is alive.

Everything is constant.

Nothing stops. Minds never stop thinking about what others might want to see on their pages.

This validation creeps in, creeps in.

Do You Know Someone Who Fit The Map?

There will always be someone you know who fits what I’ve already written about.

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If you can’t think of anyone you know personally, just look at the wider spectrum, at celebrities, or so-called influencers.

SocialMedia: “Look at me!”

Is there a worse way to live than relying on what you post online to validate yourself as a person?

I don’t think so.

But here we are, in the mid-20s, and this is how millions of people live in this world. I’m absolutely amazed at what you can post, and how you can get instant responses.

Some people spend all day scrolling through comments, talking to those who liked their posts, following and gaining followers, and being extremely careful to please both those they know and those they don’t.

The Comparison Game

The art of comparison isn’t one I’m passionate about, but it’s one people exploit.

It’s damaging to think that your life is defined by what other people are like and doing.

If you don’t keep up, why not?

You don’t have the latest care, why not?

You didn’t get that promotion, and everyone else seems to, so why not?

You wouldn’t go on vacation here or there, so why not?

Your house isn’t aesthetically pleasing, so why not?

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Okay, you or I might not care about these things, but a narcissist needs to succeed at everything they do. They have to do everything they see others doing online because they don’t just want to keep up, they want to be the best.

They compare themselves. They have to. It’s their way of playing the “I have it all, you don’t” game.

If someone spends a weekend in a nice city, a narcissist wants to spend two weeks there.

If a friend gets a new $40,000 car, a narcissist is after a $70,000 car.

Being online and following everyone’s updates on their accounts makes it easier to spread bragging, and even more so.

Obsessed With Likes

If you had asked me 20 years ago if I could have predicted the dawn of narcissism, I wouldn’t have contributed to it online.

I saw it flourish and become an online encyclopedia. I saw the possibility of downloading music or movies. I saw people connecting and networking for business.

Those things still exist. But now they’ve become a haven for likes, followers, ostentation, comparison, judgment, trolling, ridicule, criticism, ignoring, arguing, bullying—and so much more.

All of these words also describe a narcissist—who, without the internet, would never be able to publicly display their toxicity.

Related : This is How Narcissists Are Always Watching You

The internet is a wonderful place—it’s where we connect! It’s where I share my news, opinions, and topics.

The problem with modern society is that it’s made it less tolerant of others.

It’s made it possible for those who want to show off to large audiences to show off. The art of selfies has made it an obsession with gaining likes, how to look perfect, and who to show it to.

Personally, this is one of the main reasons modern society has gone astray, turning more and more people into narcissists.