If you want to see millennials bragging about themselves and stroking their egos, look no further than Instagram.
Young adults, often the source of bewilderment and ire by their elders, rated the photo-sharing service as the most narcissistic social media service, according to a survey by student loan refinancing startup LendEDU. Instagram was cited by 64% of nearly 3,700 college students polled, followed by Snapchat with 15%, Twitter with 11%, and Facebook with 10%.
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The survey’s authors said that millennials “use these platforms to boast of their daily tidings, carefully craft their public image, and feed their egos in this interconnected digital age.” Furthermore, millennials are compelled by the ability of fellow users to “like” photos or videos shared on Instagram to try to take the most flattering images of themselves in order to boost their confidence, the survey said.
Still, the authors take a big leap by saying, “If you post enough artsy, chic pictures of yourself that rack up plenty of ‘likes,’ then real life accomplishments will not matter because the popularity of your social media accounts will determine your status on the social hierarchy.” The idea that “real life accomplishments will not matter” to millennials, most of whom only care about scoring likes on social media, is a stretch.
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The authors didn’t ask the college students surveyed to compare real life successes like fulfilling relationships, academic achievements, or career advancement to the amount of social media attention they receive.
LendEDU’s survey is hardly a scientific study, but it’s still an interesting look into how younger generations perceive social media services.