INVESTIGATION OF DIGITAL WELL-BEING AND INTOLERANCE TO UNCERTAINTY AS A PREDICTORS OF NARCISSISM IN SOCIAL MEDIA
Keywords:
Social Media, Narcissism, Digital Well-Being, , Intolerance of UncertaintyAbstract
The digital age has created unprecedented opportunities for self-presentation and validation-seeking behaviors, fundamentally altering the landscape of narcissistic expression. Understanding how individuals navigate uncertainty while maintaining their digital well-being has become essential for comprehending modern psychological dynamics. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between digital well-being and intolerance of ambiguity as factors that can predict narcissistic behavior on social media platforms. This study utilized a relational screening model and employed a quantitative research method to investigate. The study's sample group consists of a total of 422 individuals aged 18 and above. The survey method was chosen as the preferred approach for gathering study data. The survey comprises the Demographic Information Form, Narcissism in Social Media Scale, Digital Well-Being Scale, and Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale. The data was analyzed using Correlation and Regression analysis. In the study, a positive correlation was found between social media narcissism and digital well-being. The correlation between narcissism on social media and digital well-being was found to be highly positive. The study revealed that the sub-dimension of intolerance of uncertainty, specifically future-oriented anxiety, has a positive and significant effect on narcissistic tendencies. These results show that social media narcissism is related to digital well-being and various psychological factors, and these relationships are mostly positive.
References
Akdeniz, S., Budak, H., & Ahçı, Z. G. (2022). Development of a Scale of Narcissism in Social Media and Investigation of its Psychometric Characteristics. International Education Studies, 15(1), 200–209. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v15n1p200
Andreassen, C. S., Pallesen, S., & Griffiths, M. D. (2017). The Relationship Between Addictive use of Social Media, Narcissism, and Self-Esteem: Findings from a large national survey. Addictive Behaviors, 64, 287–293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.03.006
Appel, M., Marker, C., & Gnambs, T. (2019). Are Social Media Ruining Our Lives? A Review of Meta-Analytic Evidence. Review of General Psychology, 24, 60–74. https://doi.org/10.1177/1089268019880891
Arbona, C., Fan, W., Phang, A., Olvera, N., & Dios, M. (2021). Intolerance of Uncertainty, Anxiety, and Career indecision: A mediation model. Journal of Career Assessment, 29, 699–716.
Arslankara, V. B., Demir, A., Öztaş, Ö., & Usta, E. (2022). Digital Well-Being Scale Validity and Reliability Study. Journal of Teacher Education and Lifelong Learning, 4(2), 263–274. https://doi.org/10.51535/tell.1206193
Back, M. D., Küfner, A. C. P., Dufner, M., Gerlach, T. M., Rauthmann, J. F., & Denissen, J. J. A. (2013). Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry: Disentangling the bright and dark sides of narcissism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 105, 1013–1037.
Baerg, L., & Bruchmann, K. (2022). COVID-19 Information Overload: Intolerance of Uncertainty Moderates the Relationship between Frequency of Internet Searching and Fear of COVID-19. Acta Psychologica, 224, Article 103534. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103534
Bandura, A. (1988). Organisational Applications of Social Cognitive Theory. Australian Journal of Management, 13, 275–302. https://doi.org/10.1177/031289628801300210
Berenbaum, H., Bredemeier, K., & Thompson, R. (2008). Intolerance of Uncertainty: Exploring its Dimensionality and Associations with Need for Cognitive Closure, Psychopathology, and Personality. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 22(1), 117–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2007.01.004
Bottesi, G., Marino, C., Vieno, A., Ghisi, M., & Spada, M. (2021). Psychological Distress in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Joint Contribution of Intolerance of Uncertainty and Cyberchondria. Psychology & Health, 37, 1396–1413. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2021.1952584
Brailovskaia, J., Rohmann, E., Bierhoff, H., & Margraf, J. (2020). The Anxious Addictive Narcissist: The Relationship Between Grandiose and Vulnerable Narcissism, Anxiety Symptoms and Facebook Addiction. PLOS ONE, 15(11), e0241632. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0241632
Brown, R., Budzek, K., & Tamborski, M. (2009). On the Meaning and Measure of Narcissism. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35, 951–964. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167209335461
Budner, S. (1962). Intolerance of Ambiguity as a Personality Variable. Journal of Personality, 30(1), 29–50.
Buffardi, L., & Campbell, W. (2008). Narcissism and social networking websites. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34, 1303–1314. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167208320061
Büchi, M. (2020). Digital Well-Being Theory and Research. New Media & Society, 26, 172–189. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448211056851
Campbell, W. K., & Foster, C. A. (2007). The Narcissistic Self: Background, an Extended Agency Model, and Ongoing Controversies. In J. D. Leary & R. H. Hoyle (Eds.), Handbook of Individual Differences in Social Behavior (pp. 115–132). Guilford Press.
Carkaxhıu Bulut, G., & Gokce, S. (2023). Problematic Social Media use, Digital Gaming Addiction and Excessive Screen time Among Turkish Adolescents During Remote Schooling: Implications on Mental and Academic Well-Being. Marmara Medical Journal, 36(1), 24–33.
Carleton, R. N., Norton, M. P. J., & Asmundson, G. J. (2007). Fearing the Unknown: A Short Version of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 21(1), 105–117.
Dolan, R., Conduit, J., Frethey-Bentham, C., Fahy, J., & Goodman, S. (2019). Social Media Engagement Behavior. European Journal of Marketing. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-03-2017-0182
Dugas, M. J., Hedayati, M., Karavidas, A., Buhr, K., Francis, K., & Phillips, N. A. (2005). Intolerance of Uncertainty and Information Processing: Evidence of Biased Recall and Interpretations. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 29(1), 57–70.
Eşgi, N. (2013). Dijital Yerli Çocukların Ve Dijital Göçmen Ebeveynlerinin Internet Bağımlılığına Ilişkin Algılarının karşılaştırılması. Hacettepe Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 28(3), 181–194.
Fegan, R., & Bland, A. (2021). Social Media use and Vulnerable Narcissism: The Differential Roles of Oversensitivity and Egocentricity. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(9), 9172. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18179172
Gambo, S., & Özad, B. (2021). The Influence of Uncertainty Reduction Strategy Over Social Network Sites Preference. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 16(2), 39–52. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-18762021000200108
Gnambs, T., & Appel, M. (2018). Narcissism and Social Networking Behavior: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Personality, 86(2), 200–212. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12305
Goffman, E. (1959). The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Doubleday.
Gui, M., Fasoli, M., & Carradore, R. (2017). “Digital Well-Being”: Developing a New Theoretical Tool for Media Literacy research. Italian Journal of Sociology of Education, 9(1), 155–173.
Hepper, E. G., Hart, C. M., & Sedikides, C. (2014). Moving Narcissus: Can Narcissists be Empathic? Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 40(9), 1079–1091.
Hidayat, F., Zulfahmi, Z., & Nasution, R. (2024). Exploring the Impact of Social Media on Narcissistic Behavior Among Students in Medan City. CHANNEL: Jurnal Komunikasi, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.12928/channel.v12i1.480
Hoffner, C., & Bond, B. (2022). Parasocial Relationships, Social Media, and Well-Being. Current Opinion in Psychology, 45, Article 101306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101306
Karasar, N. (2015). Bilimsel Araştırma Yöntemi (28. baskı). Nobel Yayıncılık.
Kircaburun, K., & Griffiths, M. D. (2018). The Dark Side of Internet: Preliminary Evidence for the Associations of dark Personality Traits with Specific Online Activities and Problematic Internet Use. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 7(4), 993–1003.
Krizan, Z., & Herlache, A. D. (2018). The Narcissism Spectrum Model: A Synthetic View of Narcissistic Personality. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 22(1), 3–31.
Li, J., Xia, Y., Cheng, X., & Li, S. (2020). Fear of Uncertainty Makes you More Anxious? Effect of Intolerance of Uncertainty on College Students’ Social Anxiety: A Moderated Mediation Model. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, Article 565107. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.565107
Maharani, N. (2024). Social Media as a Primary Source of Information: Exploring its Role in Disseminating the Current Situation in Palestine. Gema Wiralodra, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.31943/gw.v15i1.628
Mainsah, H. (2017). Social Media, Design and Creative Citizenship: An Introduction. Digital Creativity, 28, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1080/14626268.2017.1306568
Manchón, L., & Dávila, D. (2022). The use of Social Media as a Two-Way Mirror for Narcissistic Adolescents from Austria, Belgium, South Korea, and Spain. PLOS ONE, 17(8), e0272868. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0272868
Mehdizadeh, S. (2010). Self-presentation 2.0: Narcissism and Self-Esteem on Facebook. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 13(4), 357–364. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2009.0257
Meier, A., & Reinecke, L. (2020). Computer-Mediated Communication, Social Media, and Mental Health: A Conceptual and Empirical Meta-Review. Communication Research, 47(2), 207–228.
Miller, J. D., Gentile, B., Wilson, L., & Campbell, W. K. (2013). Grandiose and Vulnerable Narcissism and the DSM–5 Pathological Personality Trait Model. Journal of Personality Assessment, 95(3), 284–290.
Miller, J. D., Lynam, D. R., Hyatt, C. S., & Campbell, W. K. (2017). Controversies in narcissism. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 13, 291–315.
Morriss, J., Zuj, D., & Mertens, G. (2021). The role of intolerance of uncertainty in classical threat conditioning: Recent developments and directions for future research. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 165, 133–143.
Nash, M., Whitaker, L., & Hancox, J. (2019). Digital Satisfaction and its Implications for Narcissistic Behaviors: A Survey of Social Media Users. Computers in Human Behavior, 91, 1–12.
Nowland, R., Necka, E., & Cacioppo, J. (2018). Loneliness and social internet use: Pathways to reconnection in a digital world? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 13(1), 70–87. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691617713052
Pepperdine, E., Lomax, C., & Freeston, M. (2018). Disentangling Intolerance of Uncertainty and Threat Appraisal in Everyday Situations. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 57, 31–38.
Polat, R. (2017). Dijital Hastalık Olarak Nomofobi. Yeni Medya Elektronik Dergisi, 1(2), 164–172.
Raines, A. M., Oglesby, M. E., Walton, J. L., True, G., & Franklin, C. (2019). Intolerance of uncertainty and DSM-5 PTSD symptoms: Associations Among a Treatment Seeking Veteran Sample. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 62, 61–67.
Reinecke, L., Gilbert, A., & Eden, A. (2021). Self-Regulation as a Key Boundary Condition in the Relationship Between social media use and well-being. Current Opinion in Psychology, 45, Article 101296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.12.008
Roberts, J. A., & David, M. E. (2016). My Life has Become a Major Distraction from My Cell Phone: Partner Phubbing and relationship satisfaction among romantic partners. Computers in Human Behavior, 54, 134–141.
Sarıçam, H., Erguvan, F. M., Akın, A., & Akça, M. Ş. (2014). Belirsizliğe Tahammülsüzlük ölçeği (BTÖ-12) Türkçe formu: Geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması. Route Educational and Social Science Journal, 1(3), 148–157.
Tana, S., Breidbach, C., & Burton-Jones, A. (2023). Digital Transformation as Collective Social Action. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 24(3), 730–752. https://doi.org/10.17705/1jais.00791
Tanovic, E., Gee, D., & Joormann, J. (2018). Intolerance of Uncertainty: Neural and Psychophysiological Correlates of the Perception of Uncertainty as Threatening. Clinical Psychology Review, 60, 87–99.
Tran, H., & Diep, P. (2025). Me, myself, and I: Self-Presentation, Self-Esteem, and Uses and Gratifications on Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok. First Monday, 30(3). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v30i3.13711
Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2019). The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement. Free Press.
Valkenburg, P. M., & Peter, J. (2009). Social Consequences of the Internet for Adolescents: A Decade of Research. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18(1), 1–5.
Vanden Abeele, M. (2020). Digital Wellbeing as a Dynamic Construct. Communication Theory. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/ymtaf
Yadav, S. (2025). The Role of Social Media in Shaping Modern Identity. Samaj Shastra – The Mega Journal of Social Sciences, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.59875/032918
Özgenel, M., & Çetin, M. (2017). Marmara yaratıcı düşünme eğilimleri ölçeğinin geliştirilmesi: Geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması. Marmara Üniversitesi Atatürk Eğitim Fakültesi Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi, 46(46), 113–132.
Öztürk, E. (2018). Dijital Devrimin Güncel Kavramlarından Biri De Dijital Iyi Oluş mu? (Bir ölçek geliştirme çalışması) [Conference presentation]. 6. Uluslararası Öğretim Teknolojileri ve Öğretmen Eğitimi Sempozyumu, Edirne, Türkiye.
