Some claim selfies and TikTok have created a culture of narcissism. Psychologists have observed a “narcissism epidemic”, especially among younger generations. Is this claim exaggerated?
See this article in the New York Times: “The Mundane Thrill of Romanticizing Your Life.” Also see “Selfie culture isn’t the root of all evil” and “Why selfies can be a force for social good”.
Many believe social media networks, especially Instagram, have created a culture of constant self-representation. Worse, they claim that we live in a narcissistic anxiety due to constant self-comparisons with pictures of the perfect lives of others. Is narcissism the new normal? See this article, “How self-love got out of control”. Also this case study: “My love-hate relationship with Instagram.”
Psychologists have observed a “narcissism epidemic“, especially among younger generations. Is this claim exaggerated? See one response to that question: “Ignore the bullshit, smartphones are not ruining destroying teenagers.”
Many argue that social media and the fashion industry set “fantasy beauty” standards and create anxieties about body image, especially among young people. See this article “Social media and celebrity culture harming young people.”
The film “I Feel Pretty” starting Amy Schumer is about a woman with low body self-esteem who, after a bump on the head, believes she looks like a supermodel. See this New York Times piece on the movie and implications: “I Feel Pretty”.
Magazines like Vogue have put out issues featuring “real” women, which appears to be an admission that their other editions do not feature “real” women. See this article, “British Vogue uses real women in special issue”. Are these efforts merely gimmicks that gloss over the deeper issues about how media and fashion set unrealistic beauty ideals and body images?
Intro to Media and Communications 