Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?

Narcissists beware. This is no longer just a quote from “Snow White.� It is a sentiment that is flowing through the minds of college students everywhere, according to a new study conducted by five psychologists from various parts of the United States.

This study, comprised of data from the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, determined that vanity and egocentrism are on the rise among college students, which could mean bad news for relationships.

Traits of a narcissist such as dishonesty, lack of emotional warmth and controlling and violent behavior could all lead to a relationship that is rather short-lived, according to the study.

Matthew Jendian, an assistant professor of sociology at Fresno State, said a certain degree of self-love is healthy, but beyond that, it can become a danger to the individual and loved ones.

“At an extreme degree, [narcissism] becomes unhealthy for the individual, his or her relationships with others and society at large,� Jendian said. “Extreme narcissism is related to sociopathy that can lead to ‘wilding’ behavior which is defined as self-aggrandizing behavior that is harmful to others. It is characterized by an individual’s disregard for social rules and norms, impulsive behavior and indifference to the rights and feelings of others. The violating individual often feels no remorse for those he or she hurts.�

This breakdown of close relationships with others and a total lack of empathy often leads one to display an “I am special. Look at
me,� attitude, said Jean Twenge, a professor at San Diego State University and lead author of the study.

That is something that junior dietetics major Teresa Spicer has noticed among people she knows and society in general.

“We live in an individualistic culture, where we look at our needs and not the needs of others,â€? Spicer said. “People buy Hummers and don’t care about how it affects the environment or the people around them. It’s all about, ‘How do I look?’â€?

Self-absorption is a key component of a narcissistic person, said Timothy Kubal, also an assistant professor of sociology.

“On a social level, narcissism’s problem come from the inability to empathize with the experiences and feelings of others,� Kubal said. “This can be a huge problem for a society because people are too self-absorbed in their own world to do anything about the situations of others.�

The “It’s all about me� attitude is prevalent on popular Web sites, such as MySpace and YouTube. According to the study, technology plays a big hand in fueling the increase of narcissism.

Having a popular MySpace account or a video on YouTube can be a mark of identity to distinguish and define one̢۪s status in society, Kubal said.

Deuk Ju Jang, a junior linguistics major, agrees. People will take pictures with a nice car and tell people that it is their own, when in reality, it is not because doing so makes them look better, Jang said. “Everyone has a desire to get attention. MySpace and YouTube are good marketing strategies to show a persons hidden attitude.�

While narcissism can have its benefits, such as having high confidence and self-esteem, Jendian warns about the danger of becoming too self-absorbed with fancy cars and having many friends on MySpace.

“While most people want to leave a ‘legacy’ or mark on society, if we become too obsessed with this, it ends up hindering our relations with others,� Jendian said.