And the Plot Thickens. Is not joining Facebook a sign you're a psychopath?

I don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but it is kind of ironic to me. An article about facebook's links to narcissism.

Researchers have established a direct link between the number of friends you have on Facebook and the degree to which you are a "socially disruptive" narcissist, confirming the conclusions of many social media sceptics.

People who score highly on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory questionnaire had more friends on Facebook, tagged themselves more often and updated their newsfeeds more regularly.

The research comes amid increasing evidence that young people are becoming increasingly narcissistic, and obsessed with self-image and shallow friendships.

The latest study, published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, also found that narcissists responded more aggressively to derogatory comments made about them on the social networking site's public walls and changed their profile pictures more often.

A number of previous studies have linked narcissism with Facebook use, but this is some of the first evidence of a direct relationship between Facebook friends and the most "toxic" elements of narcissistic personality disorder.

Of note, the last sentence; "A number of previous studies have linked narcissism with facebook use."

So i'm not saying i'm on board with this one either, but its like two ends of the spectrum, these guys say this, those guys say almost the opposite (psychopaths usually display high scores in narcissism, in many cases, at least). Take your pick i guess. Or just walk away lol that is another option, that is judge people for who they are as individuals rather than making blanket statements of "facebook users are narcissists." or "if you don't have facebook you're a psychopath." Sure, there are studies done, and they may be valid in a very vague, overall general sense, but i wonder, do these prognosis's help cause the very thing they attempt to pass judgment upon? I guess it depends on where your focus is. I don't think either users of facebook or those who refrain from it's use should take either of these respective judgments against them seriously or personally. I just wonder both is there truth to any of these claims, and also who is making the claim, and why? Is there an agenda? Or is it just science? I don't know. Probably a mix of both, but i haven't confirmed it either way personally b/c i do not have facebook, and don't really pay attention to much when my friends are on it. I do pay attention when my buddy goes on his dating sites though, got to check out the ladies with him lol. anyways, just my two cents.

Stream of thought. Take it with a grain of salt, i'm just talking. I have no idea really.

Here is the link btw to the article.

www.guardian.co.uk...

I have been thinking about joining facebook for awhile, and told i should by friends, but i have been putting it off because then it is just one more thing that demands time and responsibility, it just seems like more of a bother, i keep in touch with friends by either phone, email or in person. If i feel there is some use to have a facebook account, i'd probably go ahead and do it. But the negatives at this point just far outweigh the positives to me.

Peace ~

Originally posted by BASSPLYR
Geeze. DOn't have email. You must be a weirdo. Don't have cable TV!!! must be a weirdo. DOn't have a cell phone with text and internet!!!!! Must be a weirdo. No wonder as a society we are falling apart. We've forgotten whats real. What matters and have by and large all stuck our heads up oru asses.

edit on 6-8-2012 by BASSPLYR because: Crappy spelling

I don't have Facebook. I also don't have cable tv or a cellphone, and my internet is dialup. I suppose I must be wierd. I simply have no interest in more. I keep the minimum of what I need and consider anything more fluff. I'm fairly content with what I have, and in the few places I want my life to improve, facebook and more popular entertainment are at the very bottom of the list.

I wasn't aware that having my priorities in check makes me a psychopath.

I don't need this guy to tell me I'm a psychopath. I figured that out a long time ago when I was a kid picking my belly button and then smelling my finger.

Hey wait a minute, maybe I'm on to something.. It's a mind control gas in the funk from my button... Heh, n' those guy think it has something to do with facebook...sheeeeshh

reply to post by ColoradoJens


OR some people just don't like the internet that much.. ever think of that???

Anyone who doesn't follow the natural order of things in society is "suspicious". It's sad how easily humans can be programmed.

reply to post by ColoradoJens

You are without a doubt the most conceited person I have ever seen on ATS.

Thank you kindly. I try hard to excel at any project I take up, and I appreciate it when people notice.

Apparently on your travels with the elite you missed the part where millions of kids in the US have decided to play outside instead of playing on a computer. Billions world wide.

Billions, eh?

With over 500 million users, Facebook is now used by 1 in every 13 people on earth, with over 250 million of them (over 50%) who log in every day.

48% of 18-34 year olds check Facebook when they wake up, with 28% doing so before even getting out of bed.

The core 18-24 year old segment is now growing the fastest at 74% year on year.

Almost 72% of all US internet users are on now Facebook, while 70% of the entire user base is located outside of the US.

Source

Those statistics, incidentally, are a year an a half out of date. Since then, Facebook has grown explosively. Stats Updated for 2012

As at 31 December, 2011, there were roughly 2,270,000,000 internet users in the world. Source

510,000,000 of them were in China, where Facebook is banned. Source

If you discount the paltry 100,000 or so Chinese who use Facebook through anonymous proxies, I will let you have the millions of internet users in Syria and Vietnam, where Facebook is also banned. Source

That gives us roughly 1,760,000,000 internet users around the world with access to Facebook.

And how many Facebook accounts actually exist?

As at 31 December 2011, the answer was: 799,092,160 (since then, it has grown to 835,000,000-plus, but let's use the older figure for consistency). Source

So let's make that 800 million FB users, out of a total internet population of 1,760 million. Speaking as someone who has viewed market-share statistics in many industries and territories over the years, I can assure you that such massive penetration for any branded product is nothing short of amazing.

Non-FB internet users make up the balance: a total of 960 million. Hardly 'billions'. And their number is shrinking ever more rapidly as Facebook growth turns exponential.

Even if – as you appear to suggest – there is a clear division between kids with Facebook accounts and 'kids who go out to play', it would seem that the latter are in something of a minority, since the bulk of Facebook users is aged 24 or less. Perhaps you should have googled a few statistics before making that rash assertion.

Educated, well travelled and hangs with the elite. Shocker that many on this thread, including myself could say the same of themselves; but we aren't so vain as to think it important - you on the other hand...

Yes, I, on the other hand – was accused of being brainwashed. The information I offered was pertinent to that accusation. Still, I'm glad to hear that you are educated, well travelled and 'hang with the elite'. Though with all that wonderful education and life experience, you don't seem to be able to tell the difference between Salon and Slashdot.

Oh, well. See you at the next Bilderberg Conference.

reply to post by ColoradoJens


Lol the collective mind of humanity has finally killed its last braincell. It's been a long time coming so I can't say I didn't expect it, but it's a shame. I'm interested to know... whatever happened to the time when privacy was a desired part of people's lives? Since when did it become fashionable to give a sh#t what a bunch of idiots on the internet think about your personal life?

"omg I love pancakes!"
13 people like this.


...

You can keep your sh#tty facebook. Call me weird and suspicious, I don't give a f#ck about your pancakes. Maybe that does make me weird and suspicious but I don't care. I don't need a social networking website to have a god damned social life, because I'm a human being and not a computer program. Bleh.. maybe I'm just old fashioned in my old age of 22... or maybe I'm a homicidal maniac. We won't ever know til it's too late

I absolutely DETEST fakebook, with every fiber of my being. I just can't believe how huge it has gotten, I remember when my ex started messing around with it thinking it was such a ridiculous thing for losers who can't be social in real life, and need gratification constantly. Next thing I know, EVERYONE has it, even my effing grandmother for crying out loud!

I gave in for a few months, but it didn't take long to get totally sick of the ridiculous updates in status, all the photos of peoples ugly kids, passive aggressive comments, getting tagged in photos that I might be looking HORRIBLE in... of course, nobody will post pictures they themselves aren't at their best. Also, being friended by people from high school I never had much interest in, or maybe did at one point but clearly there was a reason why the relationship ended... I'd get hit up, a little message... i'd message back and I'd hear nothing, it's like people wanna keep tabs on everyone, see who's cool ,who's a loser now.... yeah, didn't take long for me to delete it.

Does it affect my social life? Probably, sad that it does, but It's one battle i'm not giving up, I will not conform to this new standard, and if it makes me "weird" then so be it. I still have friends, I go out, I still get dates, I have an active life, I create music.... i'm too busy living instead of being on fakebook watching everyone else live.

What kills me the most is, some of the behavior on fakebook would be considered downright creepy in real life. People stalk on their and have no shame in it, yet if people did it in real life, cops would be called, or you would be called out for being a creep. I just can't imagine stalking someone on their... especially an "enemy" way to show this person they affect you so much, that you bothered to stalk their page.... to me, not taking part of it is my big F.U. to everyone. It's my way of saying i'm above all your petty b.s.

But yeah, what a psychopath I must be.... Not wanting to hear about your steamy dump you took, or wanting to look at (yet another) one of your god awful ugly babies pictures. Guess what people, you're not that important, get over yourselves!!!! So tired of it, I just wish it would go away every day, I seriously hope something happens to fakebook where it can't exist anymore, every, single, day.

reply to posts by TheAnarchist and HeyGuysLetsTalk

Since when did it become fashionable to give a sh#t what a bunch of idiots on the internet think about your personal life?

"omg I love pancakes!"
13 people like this.

it didn't take long to get totally sick of the ridiculous updates in status, all the photos of peoples ugly kids, passive aggressive comments, getting tagged in photos that I might be looking HORRIBLE in...

Has it occurred to you that the people you are talking about are your friends?

A person's Facebook experience depends on the kind of friends he or she has. I have 251 friends on that site; without exception they are all people I befriended first in real life. None of them uses Facebook to tell the world how much they love pizza. Mostly, they post news articles, music videos, stuff they've seen or read on the net and want to share, invitations to various cultural events, samples of their own creative work, or personal observations and opinions their friends find worth reading. I do see a few annoying 'motivational posters' and bad jokes, as well the occasional automatically posted update from those who play games like Farmville, but generally my Facebook experience reflects my real-world social life quite faithfully.

If your Facebook page is full of shallow, trivial nonsense, please don't blame Facebook; blame your friends. Or rather, blame yourself.

reply to post by ColoradoJens

I am pretty sure that there really is not such that as anonymity, each and every time you use the web or any electronic system ie computers, its all must basically data transaction of information withing networks, and all that data can and is basically always there even if its on the move it's still there alright. So no Facebook is not necessary to keep track of people or to know what there all about, or to profile them that is already known...But what things like Facebook do is make it easier for humans and the social machine they operate in to do that, it basically streamlines and makes it smoother for such things to be known, so much so that as you know big money corporations, and other such entities are getting in on it, as its in there interests to see what peoples interests are.

In all I have a Facebook account, I never really used it all that much before. In fact up to a few months ago I only checked it once every 4 or so months, and I only recently really bothered to check up on it at all. And only because somebody gave me there Facebook profile, and i was trying see if I can be one of the cool kids. It's sad to say that nope i do not fit in into the Facebook scene, really I am not cool at all.

And whats more I only really personally know a few people on my friends list, the rest are either cousins or relatives that I have only meet a few times in my life, or even not at all and don't know anything about them but the fact that were related somehow. And the rest are just people i have known when young to keep in touch, or just people I meet online.

I personally dont see how people can always be on Facebook and posting things and I know plenty of people who do that regularly some even its there primary mode of communication. But I in some way get it, even if in all I find it kind of boring and not really my thing. And in this day and age were everything is going digital, well what would one expect that the interactions between people is going to be of a more digital nature, there in lies the good and the bad, and even the ugly nature of the digital age. In fact bro what do you think your doing now, posting things like this is in the overall nature of things not that much different then the stuff on Facebook, minus the pictures off course and the themes.

If anything it would be of pick your flavor of poison, because the digital fingerprint is everywhere the rest is just creating central networks, not unlike and kind of like creating neural networks. Any and every thing can be used in any manner of ways, and like anything it isn't inherently good or bad, people just make it so. So what are we now surprised that people have made things as they are?

But every site and hub network attracts a certain type and caters to that. Facebook is littered with a certain type, just like ATS is littered with a certain type, and just like every site out there is littered with a certain type. To each there own, in fact this whole thread is nothing but speculation not unlike the kinds you would see on Facebook on and about people and the things they would get up to, you know the whole he said she said thing.

The irony of complaining about the digital construct that is Facebook, on the digital construct that is ATS is very funny indeed.

reply to post by Astyanax

thanks for the chuckle ... i'm guessing you think all of those profiles are legitmate too, huh ?? don't suppose anyone has more than 1 account, right ??

so, when did Facebook require ID to build a profile ??

anyway, thanks for the chuckle ... we must be drowning in narcissistic psychopaths ... anyone care to bet that Facebook will provide the first "line of attack" directed at gun owners ??
can't have all those psychos toting guns around now can we

The Ats Lawnmower mans in your head now Facebook there is no escape ever!

reply to post by ColoradoJens
The PTB want total control so yeah sure they want everyone on face ache.They can keep tabs gather info build up a pen pic if they need to,refer to records civilian military..parking tickets yadda yadda..I reckon there on to something if Norway shooter and the US shooter had no FB accounts.Think these attacks will become more so because internet age,and people believe crap on you tube.Non armed protest is the only way forward ok may be a set to with the police will get coverage World wide..Ive got to say some of my FB friends list is full of idle gamers who wish away the day doing just that lol..FB is not dead but lost its appeal..So answer to this question psychopath yes may be cos your hiding info about yourself,and why!!!

reply to post by Astyanax


Uh-hu. Billions still stand, as evidenced by your post. Clearly you like conformity. I assume you would say the same thing about an iphone. Or lady gaga. Surely you wouldn't hire someone who doesn't listen to lady gaga or eats McDonalds and doesn't have an iphone. FB is what it is. The fact that there is a societal pressure to use a product so much so to the point that even well educated world travellers believe something is wrong with you if you don't use it says that, yes, the brainwashing is working indeed.

In my world, if you are not wearing a Hermes tie, I would never think of hiring you - sound stupid? It is. Just as is your position. What qualities does being on facebook give to a potential employee? What skill set is raised? Would you rather you employees be proficient on facebook but have no real people skills?

A person's Facebook experience depends on the kind of friends he or she has. I have 251 friends on that site;

Another example of hilarity. Knowing someone doesn't make them your friend, except on face book. No adult has time to be "friends" with so many people. I had ten groomsmen in my wedding, in addition to my best man.
I am lucky that I have actual friends, not facsimiles of them.

CJ

LOL, the only reason I'm not on Facebook that much is because Tumblr has my life in an unrelenting holtile takeover. That site is soul sucking and all its victims go quite willingly

In fact, I really would have deleted my profile if I didn't use it to talk to my other friends.

This study's got it all wrong, it's Tumblr that's full of freaks, geeks, and weirdos...

My self included

Originally posted by ColoradoJens
You all knew it was coming...now it is considered "suspicious" to NOT be on Facebook.

The German magazine Der Taggspiegel went so far as to point out that accused theater shooter James Holmes and Norwegian mass murder Anders Behring Breivik have common ground in their lack of Facebook profiles.

Luka Magnotta had over 70 Facebook accounts. He also stabbed Lin Jun over 70 times before decapitating and dismembering him then having sex with his torso.

reply to post by ColoradoJens

Billions still stand, as evidenced by your post.

960 million is 'billions'? Or are you counting the people who have no access to the internet? And everybody between the ages of zero and the grave?

Clearly you like conformity.

It certainly has its place. Weddings, family reunions, funerals, that kind of thing. Facebook stuff, in a way, I suppose.

I assume you would say the same thing about an iphone. Or lady gaga. Surely you wouldn't hire someone who doesn't listen to lady gaga or eats McDonalds and doesn't have an iphone.

Why would I not hire someone who doesn't own a gadget I don't have myself? Do try to maintain a reasonably intelligent level of discussion, there's a good chap, or you may have to forgo the pleasure of my conversation. How old are you?

FB is what it is.

As, indeed, is everything. Any more statements of the obvious you would like to make?

The fact that there is a societal pressure to use a product so much so to the point that even well educated world travellers believe something is wrong with you if you don't use it says that, yes, the brainwashing is working indeed.

'Societal pressure'? Are you saying people have to be forced to use Facebook? News to me.

Really, if you don't raise your game I shall be forced to look elsewhere on ATS for my entertainment. Sigh.

In my world, if you are not wearing a Hermes tie, I would never think of hiring you – sound stupid? It is.

Yes, it is pretty stupid. An Hermés tie-wearer would expect a far higher salary than I am likely to be willing to pay. But what, exactly, is your point?

Just as is your position.

What has my position got to do with a tie you extracted from some orifice of the imagination? Do you think the situation you described is in any way comparable to the one we are discussing? Could you point out the congruities?

What qualities does being on facebook give to a potential employee?

See the earlier post where I explained it all quite clearly.

What skill set is raised?

There is no need to repeat yourself. I certainly will not repeat mine.

Would you rather you employees be proficient on facebook but have no real people skills?

If you think this has anything to do with what you are talking about, I really shall have to take my custom elsewhere. People who lack what you so endearingly call 'people skills' (crikey, is this what people call English nowadays?) are precisely the people who have trouble with Facebook.

A person's Facebook experience depends on the kind of friends he or she has. I have 251 friends on that site;

Another example of hilarity. Knowing someone doesn't make them your friend, except on face book.

A semicolon is not a signal to stop reading. Here is the quote in full:

Originally posted by Astyanax
A person's Facebook experience depends on the kind of friends he or she has. I have 251 friends on that site; without exception they are all people I befriended first in real life.

What part of 'befriended' did you not understand? Or were you trying a bit of media manipulation there, you crafty old highly educated world traveller, you?

No adult has time to be "friends" with so many people.

No doubt that is how it seems to you.

I had ten groomsmen in my wedding, in addition to my best man.

And I am sure your wife was thoroughly impressed.

I am lucky that I have actual friends, not facsimiles of them.

I agree. You are indeed very lucky to have friends.

Is not joining Facebook a sign you're a psychopath?

No, it means that im not an idiot AND I actually have a life. Just because I wish NOT to share of what I'm doing or how I'm feeling every minute of my day doesnt mean I'm hiding something. It just means I'm not wasting my time nor yours

reply to post by Astyanax


Wow. Your conversational skills are outstanding.

Why would I not hire someone who doesn't own a gadget I don't have myself? Do try to maintain a reasonably intelligent level of discussion, there's a good chap, or you may have to forgo the pleasure of my conversation. How old are you?

So you only hire people who own gadgets that you own. Now there is an intelligent level of discussion. Forgoing the pleasure of your conversation is not how I would put it.

As, indeed, is everything. Any more statements of the obvious you would like to make?

Yes. You base others' value on whether they are active on FB or not. You clearly have issues.

'Societal pressure'? Are you saying people have to be forced to use Facebook? News to me

Ah, no brainiac. I would hope you would know the difference between being pressured and forced.

Really, if you don't raise your game I shall be forced to look elsewhere on ATS for my entertainment. Sigh.

You might want to check out the latest bigfoot sighting thread. Your panache will go over well there.

Yes, it is pretty stupid. An Hermés tie-wearer would expect a far higher salary than I am likely to be willing to pay. But what, exactly, is your point?

In my view, if you dont wear specific brands of clothing it shows that you are not inclined to be successful at work. See how dumb it is you say the same of another marketable product? Sheesh, you really are not that smart are you?

If you think this has anything to do with what you are talking about, I really shall have to take my custom elsewhere. People who lack what you so endearingly call 'people skills' (crikey, is this what people call English nowadays?) are precisely the people who have trouble with Facebook.

Perhaps you should take your "custom" elsewhere. Victorian England might suit you better.

A semicolon is not a signal to stop reading. Here is the quote in full:

The funny thing is you didn't need a semicolon. Your point was not furthered by what you said after it- you simply said the same thing again.

What part of 'befriended' did you not understand? Or were you trying a bit of media manipulation there, you crafty old highly educated world traveller, you?

Ah, the poet and his/her words..."befriended"...please go on. Do you include the dog you "befriended" walking down the street as one of your friends? Of course you do.

And I am sure your wife was thoroughly impressed.

She too has real friends. In the real world, this is considered "normal". We are both "sociable" people who have no need to communicate with all of our friends via FB.

You might want to get out and actually get to know some people one day. If you did, you'd quickly discover that your linguistic style went the way of the stagecoach many years ago. "What passes for English" these days? I have not laughed out loud so much in a long while when reading your attempts to sound intelligent. You just really, really sound like someone who has 251 friends on FB. And we ALL know when one has 251 friends on FB that they really have none in real life. Enjoy!

CJ

I have 251 friends on that site;

www.cnn.com...

Do you have tons of Facebook friends and often update your status? If so, you may be a narcissist, a new study suggests.

Research from Western Illinois University showed a link between the number of Facebook friends you have and how active you are on the site to the likelihood of being a "socially disruptive" narcissist.

The study -- which was recently published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences -- was conducted among 300 participants, who took a Narcissistic Personality Inventory questionnaire.

Just saying. Not calling you names, but hey, it's a study with all the scientific rigors and peer reviewed journal qualifications and whathaveyou. And it's not the only one.

Two sides to every story.