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Narcissism Best Served in 12 Seconds

Posted by Nick O'Neill on August 21st, 2008 2:43 PM

Hey this is Nick O’Neill and I’m here today to tell you about ….. me!!!!!! Yes, I am wonderful [END CLIP].

That’s about all I and thousands of others of people can seem to talk about when they are provided with 12 seconds to talk to a video camera. There is a sudden boom of social video services that enable people to record and upload quick video clips of themselves. I’ve found that the majority of the content is simply people talking about themselves. Is this a particularly acute observation? Not really, if you didn’t realize this then you haven’t been viewing social media.

Social Media is Narcissistic

When I was waiting in line today to grab my Chipotle lunch I thought to myself that I’d post a tweet saying “Exhausted. Didn’t sleep much last night.” I’m not sure what exactly inspired this moment of deep insight but I can guarantee that absolutely nobody following me on Twitter cared whatsoever. They will simply ignore it in search of the next interesting post.

The problem with many of these services is that they were designed in ways that enable us to increase our narcissism. Who posted on my wall on Facebook? Did you comment on my blog post? Did you reply to my tweet? Me me me! In such an environment it’s no wonder that micro-celebrities are born because ultimately the only industry that rewards narcissism is the entertainment industry.

Where’s the Value?

It’s well known that advertising appeals to peoples’ desire to be a celebrity. When an industry develops tools for individuals to become their own celebrities, people rush in to take advantage of it. That’s exactly what social media has provided but hopefully some of these tools can turn into tools for good rather than simply tools for self promotion.

The only thing I can’t figure out about 12 seconds (and countless other “social media” start ups) is how are they any different from YouTube or most other video sites? Does 12 seconds really make much of a difference? Honestly, I think it’s relatively limiting and while I understand the 140 character limit for Twitter I have no idea where the value is for 12seconds.com.

How large can the industry get when people are only talking about themselves?

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This entry was posted on Thursday, August 21st, 2008 at 2:43 pm and is filed under Analysis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Viewing 5 Comments

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    A tweet about how good or bad your Chipotle burrito tasted is useful social info (personal recommendation). Your current energy level is not. Before you tweet, ask yourself about its usefulness or interesting-ness.
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    Nick,
    Great point! Keep up the work on your blogs it enlightens my company!
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    Narcissism is not bad inherently. The reason things like Twitter and 12 Seconds (the video twitter) work so well is because people can recognize themselves in another and this is comforting to human sanity.

    I don't believe that social media creates change, it is simply a tool, but what it does do is bring empathy and respect into the public arena. Like, I completely disagree with your post, but I've been exhausted too standing in line at Chipotle, so maybe I can see where you're coming from.
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    Hey, Rebecca, "like", you stupid fuck. Like, you're a complete vapid cunt if you don't, like, realize how the media affects reality and in turn, promotes change. No shit it's a tool. It's a tool to make you feel inadequate and imperfect. Hopefully, this forces the viewer/reader to change according to the delivered message. This may result in purchasing something such as clothing, makeup, or any other tangible product available, but it may also lead to changes in personality and beliefs to either fit into the designated definition of how you should appear or act, or cause you to act incredibly "different" to prove to everyone how unique and special you are, which, judging by your post, certainly does not pertain to you. Either way, however you're affected by the media, including the bullshit twitter, myspace, etc. it's a way to boost your ego, and it allows for some sort of justification for being the way you are. It's validity in a society where self-assuredness is nonexistent and confidence is the most neglected character trait around. I'll agree with you on one point, though. At least, I think I will. Your second sentence, which is barely readable, sheds some truth on networks like 12 Seconds and facebook. It IS comforting for people to look at themselves, become the center of attention, and receive comments on how generally appealing/interesting/incredible they are. As I said, it boosts that person's ego. Not that it's wrong, but I think it also breeds a society that cannot cope with reality. We increasingly isolate ourselves in a digital world that is constantly providing instant gratification and is always fueling our neverending desire for acceptance. In reality, we do not receive this at the exponentially-increasing rate that we would in this virtual world we've surrounded ourselves by, and so living on a day-to-day basis sans the ass-kissing we require to feel good about who we are becomes difficult and it causes people to feel like they're missing something in their lives - like they're lacking fulfillment. This feeling makes us prime targets for MORE advertising, as we've fallen victim to our hollow wants that were basically composed on a faulty foundation to begin with. These wants are not real. They have been created to keep the capitalist society flourishing, and the ultimate people who benefit are the people who make you feel like you're worthless in the first place.
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    enough about your social media experiences nick. lets talk about me....

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