Keith Campbell, professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ psychology department, spoke with WebMD about whether narcissism is rising in the United States.
“It’s kind of a narcissistic world,” Campbell said. “But I do not think that narcissism at the individual level is increasing, and I don’t think it has been for a long time.”
Rather, Campbell and other experts say those with higher narcissistic tendencies now have bigger megaphones and greater influence, shifting cultural norms toward individualism and self-promotion. That’s not necessarily all bad — some narcissistic traits like confidence and self-worth can be good for us. But in excess, they can sabotage relationships and harm mental health, leading many to worry about the negative impacts of our seemingly self-obsessed “look-at-me”’ culture.
Campbell said he is particularly concerned about “vulnerable narcissists,” which aren’t talked about as much.
“They’ll fantasize about how important they are, but they’ll generally be kind of soured on the world because no one recognizes it,” he said. “When you get to social media, you’re going to see grandiose narcissists self-promoting and taking selfies, appearing to live their best life, and you’re going to see vulnerable narcissists stewing with envy.”
However, research shows that narcissism tends to decrease with age. Having kids and partners shifts the focus to others, and experience with failure tempers delusions of perfection.