Adolescent Narcissism and Neural Responses to Online Peer Feedback: Links to Anxiety, Depression, and Loneliness

Abstract

Social media and narcissism are closely linked during adolescence, a period when teenagers often seek validation and connection online—factors that play a critical role in their well-being. This study examined whether self-reported narcissism is associated with neural sensitivity to peer feedback and whether this neural activity moderates the relationship between narcissism and adolescent well-being. Participants (N = 52) completed measures of narcissism, anxiety, depression, and loneliness and underwent fMRI while receiving simulated peer feedback on their own social media posts. Results indicated that higher narcissism was associated with increased activity in both reward and social pain networks during peer feedback. However, minimal marginal associations were found between narcissism and well-being outcomes, except for a significant positive correlation with anxiety. Additionally, neural reactivity did not moderate the relationship between narcissism and well-being. These findings suggest that while narcissistic traits may heighten adolescents’ neural responses to socially evaluative cues, these responses do not consistently translate into emotional maladjustment. Implications for trait-level models of social media vulnerability and the importance of multidimensional assessments are discussed.