The Use of Social Media and Narcissism: A Perspective from Saudi Arabia

Purpose: This study examines the effects of social media use on narcissism, empathy, sympathy, and psychological well-being, with a particular focus on gender differences in the Saudi Arabian context.Study design/methodology/approach: A quantitative research design was used in which survey data were analyzed using regression models to examine the psychological and emotional factors in social media use.Sample and data: Data were collected in Saudi Arabia, with a sample of 404 social media users. Two separate analyses were conducted for male and female participants.Results: The results show that social media use is negatively associated with narcissism in all study models. In the male model, social media use has no significant effect on empathy or sympathy, although these factors influence psychological well-being. In the female model, social media use significantly predicts sympathy. In addition, narcissism shows a significant interaction effect in the full and female models but not in the male model.Originality/value: This study contributes to the limited literature on the psychological effects of social media use in the Arab world- and offers gender-specific findings in a culturally specific setting.Research limitations/implications: The study is limited to self-reported data from a single country and may not capture all causal relationships. Future research could explore longitudinal studies and cross-cultural comparisons.