How Social Media is Becoming Multifaceted Battleground of Narcissism, Professionalism, and Humanity

We are currently living in an age marked by unprecedented advancements in technology and creativity. As a result, with the successive inventions of telegram, telephone, radio, television, and the internet, the modern age has now handed us a powerful tool of communication—social media.

From platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram to video-sharing sites like TikTok and YouTube, and messaging applications like WhatsApp and Messenger—all these are collectively can be referred as social media.

Through these platforms, we are now effortlessly sharing photos, videos, or textual content on a daily basis. At the same time, we are engaging with various individuals and organizations from different regions, professions, and cultural backgrounds across the world.

While this has enabled us to stay continuously updated with a wide array of information, it has also quite insidiously, infected us with a growing narcissistic tendency that is gradually disconnecting us from both our professional responsibilities and our shared human values.

According to Wikipedia, narcissism typically refers to a personality trait in which an individual constantly seeks admiration from others and desires to present themselves in a favorable light. Some psychologists go so far as to describe narcissism as a personality disorder.

However, it’s important to note that narcissism is not entirely negative. A certain degree of self-focus can help to build confidence and self-esteem, according to several studies.

But problems begin when individuals exceed that healthy threshold. Most narcissistic individuals fail to stay within a balanced range and instead begin to relentlessly post photos, videos, or personal updates on social media. Such behavior not only irritates other users but also adversely impacts the narcissist’s social dignity and the perception of their character.

Ironically, the original intent behind the creation of social media was to build bridges of communication across various classes, religions, ethnicities, and geographies. However, over time, the very same tool has been repurposed for excessive and often inappropriate self-exposure.

Consequently, the misuse of platforms is leading to a range of complexities in our social, professional, and personal lives, while also triggering psychological and physical side effects. Meanwhile, fundamental aspects of human character—such as empathy, restraint, and ethical responsibility—are slowly eroding due to this problem.

This is why, rather than acting as bridges of global connection, social media platforms are increasingly becoming symbols of toxic self-absorption. Consider how people, even during work hours, impulsively start scrolling through social media—often losing their ability to refocus on professional tasks. Others are sharing sensitive personal information or content involving family and loved ones—which could later pose serious security risks.

Additionally, on video-centric platforms like TikTok and YouTube, narcissistic users are flooding the internet with vulgar, tasteless, and cheap content. This not only accelerates moral degradation in society but also contributes to a gross misuse of time and attention.

Recently, the possibility of earning money through content creation has pushed more individuals toward a dehumanizing, narcissistic engagement with these platforms. As a result, whenever a disaster or conflict occurs, narcissistic content creators rush to the scene—not to help, but to record and post content in hopes of going viral.

Although such behavior may yield immediate visibility through citizen journalism, it is causing long-term, unimaginable damage to the social fabric. A poignant example is the Milestone School and College tragedy that occurred in Dhaka’s Diabari on July 21.

After a military aircraft crashed and triggered a massive fire at the school, emergency responders were struggling to access the site and begin rescue operations. Yet, narcissistic content creators had already swarmed the area, impeding those efforts. Even as severely burned victims were seen walking out of the building on their own, these so-called influencers were fixated on taking photos and videos rather than helping to ensure proper medical care. No sense of human or social responsibility was visible in their behavior.

Their actions were driven solely by a desire for going viral and the potentialities for financial gain through content monetization. These two motives had so thoroughly taken over their minds that they became incapable of acting like rational, ethical beings. Like unfeeling, immobile entities, they continued to function solely pursuing for their narcissistic goals.

At its core, the narcissistic crisis induced by social media has roots in an invisible, corrosive cultural framework tied to Western capitalist ideology. It reflects a deeper conflict among the individual, society, and technology itself.

Thus, the term “performative culture” is gaining traction in this context. This concept suggests that people today don’t merely live their lives—they constantly “perform” in front of others, playing roles shaped by external validation. Social media offers the perfect stage for such performances, where the size of one’s audience determines one’s self-worth.

In this context, narcissism is no longer just a clinical disorder; it has evolved into a cultural phenomenon. Social media users are now obsessively building “curated versions” of themselves. Each polished post, each catchy caption is crafted to conceal deep-seated voids and insecurities.

These platforms create alternate narratives of life—artificial and often disconnected from reality. In doing so, they manufacture a synthetic identity that stands apart from the individual’s true self. This new identity, which may be called the user’s “digital avatar,” begins to overshadow the real human being.

The rise of such digital avatars is not merely an attempt at self-expression—it reflects a deep hunger for digital recognition. Consequently, the human brain becomes addicted to instant rewards. Likes, comments, and shares activate the release of dopamine in the brain, giving a fleeting sense of pleasure. But since this pleasure is short-lived, users are compelled to create more content, sacrificing more of their time, privacy, and even morality in pursuit of intangible popularity.

As a result, human relationships are sufferring regardlessly. Families are spending less face-to-face time together. Friendships are increasingly shaped by competition rather than trust. In romantic relationships, validation through online engagement is becoming a twisted form of emotional currency.

This transformation of the self into a digital avatar is also affecting professional behavior. Many professionals no longer see their workplaces as spaces of responsibility or empathy. Instead, their jobs become just another arena for content creation.

We are now witnessing alarming trends: doctors taking selfies in operating theaters, teachers setting up cameras in classrooms, journalists live-streaming from accident scenes without aiding the injured using there own accounts, and even train operators filming vlogs while operating locomotives.

Such behavior not only fuels self-promotion but also drains professionalism and ethical accountability.

Naturally, this raises a fundamental question: Is this relentless performance of the self an inevitable aspect of our civilization’s progress, or is it a sign of cultural decay? Some scholars argue that social media is helping to construct a “new reality” for modern society. Others view it as a technologically induced affliction.

In the midst of this dual reality, what we truly need is a form of introspective, critical dialogue. We must begin to view social platforms not as mirrors that distort, but as tools through which we can confront our authentic selves. The ethical use of these platforms demands that we learn to present ourselves with integrity across our professional, personal, and civic roles.

Otherwise, this mirror will become a hall of illusions—one where we lose sight of who we really are, without ever realizing it.

Ultimately, we must remember that social media is nothing more than a garden created by technology. If we continue to turn this garden into a grazing field for narcissism, it will inevitably become a cultural desert—one devoid of empathy, responsibility, and community. In that barren space, all that will remain are isolated, lonely faces—each lost in their digital echo chambers, unable to speak in the true language of humanity.