NARCISSISM, SOCIAL MEDIAADDICTION AND BODY DYSMORPHIAAMONG YOUNG ADULTS: ROLE OF SELF ESTEEM

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to examine the moderating role of self-esteem on the relations between narcissism, social media addiction and body dysmorphic concerns among young adults. The quantitative research design carried out by surveying 249 respondents from Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Data were analyzed through Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) to test the research hypotheses. Self-reported measures including Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI), Social Media Addiction Scale Student Form (SMAS-SF), Appearance Anxiety Inventory (AAI) and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) were used. The results demonstrate a notable and positive association between narcissism and social media addiction providing evidence for the idea that excessive use of social media is connected to narcissistic characteristics. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between narcissism and body dysmorphic concerns emphasizing the need of taking narcissistic tendencies into account when examining body image problems. However, the impact of self-esteem on the relationship between narcissism, social media addiction and body dysmorphic concerns was not shown to be substantial. This implies that the protective effects of self-esteem may not have a strong influence on these dynamics. The study also discovered a notable disparity between genders in terms of social media addiction, with men displaying elevated levels of addiction in comparison to women. However, no gender disparities were seen in relation to narcissism or body dysmorphic concerns.