Visualize yourself scrolling through your Facebook timeline.
As you scroll, you see 5 of your friends have posted gym selfies. Who is it?
Likely, you can immediately identify the most likely suspects (without referencing your friend’s list) because, after all, they’re repeat offenders.
If they don’t post their workout on Facebook, did it even happen at all?
Don’t get me wrong, “5 miles on the treadmill before work – yay me!” can be motivating to read, but more often than not, it’s incredibly annoying.
Researchers from Brunel University in London have studied why so many people share every workout on social media. Sorry, the results don’t reflect well on our gym selfie-sharing friends.
Addicted to Attention and Esteem
The results of the Brunel University study revealed that people who find it necessary to document their physical activity via social media tend to be narcissists. According to the researchers, the primary goal is to boast about how much time you invest in your looks. Moreover, the study also revealed that these status updates received more Facebook likes than other posts, thereby feeding into the narcissistic posts.
“Narcissists more frequently updated about their achievements, which was motivated by their need for attention and validation from the Facebook community,” the study concludes. The high number of likes doesn’t necessarily mean everyone loves seeing those bragging posts, though.
Dr. Tara Marshal says, “although our results suggest that narcissists’ bragging pays off because they receive more likes and comments to their status updates, it could be that their Facebook friends politely offer support while secretly disliking such egotistical displays.”
The takeaway from this study is that unless you get ultra-creative with your workout, maybe it’s best to hold back sharing daily gym progress updates. Your friends will thank you for it!
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