An Exploratory Analysis of Users Behavior on Image-based Social Network and Levels of Narcissism

Abstract

With the widespread adoption of Internet and smartphone, image-based social networking platforms have now become one of the most prominent virtual forums where users engage in photographic self-presentations. Recently, there has been a surge in scholarly interest in exploring the association between social media behaviors and narcissism. Provided that narcissists use interpersonal interactions for self-enhancement, social media is considered an ideal environment for narcissists to reinforce their ideal self. Instagram in particular, seem like a fertile ground for identifying users narcissistic traits, given that people often engage in photo sharing activities to satisfy their social interaction needs, such as self-expression and self-presentation.

While previous studies provide sufficient evidence for a positive relationship between narcissism and social media usage, they lack an empirical approach with more quantitative analysis. The majority of psychological studies were conducted solely based on self-report surveys, which are known to pose limitations regarding respondents untruthfulness and lack of retrospective ability. Therefore, the current study uses Instagram API and machine learning algorithm for image analysis to obtain raw data of users social media behavior.

The main goal of this exploratory study was to examine how narcissistic personality traits are exhibited in an image-based social media network. Based on the collected quantified data on users online behavior and photo content, the research illustrates how narcissistic tendencies are manifested through observable behaviors on Instagram. This study represents the first known attempt to find the association between narcissism and social media use by conducting an exploratory data analysis on a broader set of pictures posted by each Instagram users.