Alienation 2.0 – Symptoms of Narcissism and Aggression

Narcissistic display and investment is a powerful presence in the drive to accumulate online social capital which is further enabled by the egocentric nature of social media. Against the backdrop of ambient values of individualism and competitiveness in modern capitalism, there is an incentive to transform online social space into one this is predominately indexed via the medium of personal gain. This chapter provides background on narcissism in general, and how it is manifested in the case of social media. In addition, the screen-mediated nature of social media may also serve to empower Id-based behaviours that are low on empathy and with little regard for consequences. This chapter also links narcissistic behaviours to aggression, thus demonstrating how the increasingly hostile environment of social media may be linked to negative attention seeking behaviours, if not also aligned with the drive to being competitive and heard in a large sea of ‘noise.’