Virtual Socialization among College Students: An Analysis through Self-Esteem, Psychological Needs and Narcissism

The objective of the present study is to determine whether there is a relationship between self-esteem, psychological needs and narcissism among college students who are frequent and infrequent virtual socializers. A non-probability purposive sampling technique was employed to select 200 college students (100 boys and 100 girls), aged between 18-25 years. An Online Social Networking Scale, Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem scale (Rosenberg, 1965), Balanced Measure of Psychological Needs Scale (Sheldon, 2012) and Narcissism Personality Inventory (Raskin and Terry, 1988) were administered to measure the frequency of virtual socialization, level of self-esteem, psychological needs and narcissism respectively. Significant differences were found between frequent and infrequent virtual socializers with respect to the dimensions of self-deprecation, authority, self-sufficiency and exhibitionism (p<0.05). Significant gender differences were also found with respect to the exhibitionism and vanity dimensions of narcissism (p<0.05). The dimensions of self-esteem, psychological needs and narcissism were significantly correlated in both the groups (p<0.05). In a technologically advanced time such as the present era, it is imperative to be aware of the influence of virtual socialization on behavioral traits of narcissism and self-esteem in college students and the effect on the creation of their concepts of themselves and how they protect their self-esteem and issues of identity.