When Geet (Kareena Kapoor) in Jab We Met admitted she is her favourite person, her candid confession resonated with many. A recent study verifies that many people are totally engrossed with themselves, to the point of self-obsession. Researchers at Harvard have gotten to the bottom of why so many of us are compelled to share our every thought, movement, like and want through mediums like Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, Instagram and Pinterest. The reason, they claim, is talking about oneself is a rewarding experience for one’s brain.
Delhi University student Sanya Batra says, “Everybody is obsessed with talking about themselves. I believe that obsession in the right amout is good, but one shouldn’t become a magalomaniac. I like to talk about myself, but only to few chosen ones.”
According to HR consultant Banhi Dutta, social networking provides open platform to all kinds of personalities. “There are some who are shy and some extremely extrovert. But everyone loves attention. So, every few minutes, people update their status or post pictures with weird captions or messages, which attracts comments and makes them feel wanted. One of my friends recently posted a comment stating, “am excited and waiting” now this is an open invitation to her friends.”
As humans, it is natural to desire recognition from others for our achievements, believes Salloli Kumar, socialite, who says, “Nobody wants to be an unsung hero, hence social networking sites are excellent platforms to announce to those who matter about our achievements.”
Lifestyle management expert Dr Rachna K. Singh says, “For many engaging in self-disclosure, it’s a mode of self-expression. They use social networking sites as a medium. Many feel the need to connect with a large number of people at one go. The downside of this behaviour is loss of privacy, as the user constantly uploads photos which may feature other people as well and it may even get annoying for the recipient or friends on the site to see constant updates.”