Hi u/nephilim80,

You ask about narcissism. Hot topic!

People who qualify for a diagnosis or narcissism will have been that way essentially since childhood. No amount of adult introspection will turn someone into a narcissist. Quite the opposite, in fact: Narcissists are not interested in actually seeing themselves, because at the core they feel they're worthless. Instead, they're interested in puffing up their persona.

That said, I do want to point out that there is a healthy degree of narcissism, if we're talking about concern for one's well-being and positive self-view. In fact, children have a "narcissistic" view of the world. It's developmentally appropriate.

Regarding social media and the ego: Our egos are perpetually in danger of becoming unbalanced and externalizing our sense of worth, which is a prime quality of narcissism.

About swiping in dating apps: There likely are such studies, you could search on Google Scholar. I'd tend to agree with your guess.