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Social networking sites such as Facebook provide the ideal environment for some types of narcissists to promote themselves and seek the admiration of others on a grand scale, according to a study published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.

In the article "Grandiose and Vulnerable Narcissists: Who Is at Higher Risk for Social Networking Addiction?", Silvia Casale, Giulia Fioravanti, and Laura Rugai, University of Florence, Italy, suggest that vulnerable narcissists, who tend to be insecure and have lower self-esteem, are more likely to feel safer in online versus face-to-face interactions, which might lead them to prefer social networking as a means to gain approval and admiration. In contrast, grandiose narcissists, who tend toward arrogance and exhibitionism are likely to seek out admiration more openly, rather than through social media.

"Since online interactions tend to have an indirect effect on an individual's social self-esteem, it is important to assess carefully for comorbid depression in those presenting with generalized problematic Internet use," says Editor-in-Chief Brenda K. Wiederhold, PhD, MBA, BCB, BCN, Interactive Media Institute, San Diego, California and Virtual Reality Medical Institute, Brussels, Belgium.