Worried that your kids are narcissistic? Don't worry, there's a moment in life that will change that

Your adolescents won't be immersed in themselves forever, it just looks like this: A new study has found subjects' age and narcissistic traits, as they grow older and more exposed to the world - especially in the job market, traits diminish and align with reality

Worried that your kids are narcissistic? Don't worry, there's a moment in life that will change that

Video: Dr. Ilan Rabinovich explains what narcissism is

Adolescence provides quite a few challenges for the average parent; Lots of fights, anger, frustration and sometimes the little fear that you are raising a monster who sees no one but a meter. New American research gives some light at the end of the tunnel to parents of teens and reveals how narcissism changes over time.

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Researchers at the University of Michigan examined 747 people born between 1923 and 1969, ages 13 to 77. They found that the main characteristics of narcissism - such as being self-sufficient, sensitive to criticism, or imposing your opinion on others - weakened as we grow older. "There is a narrative in our culture that generations are becoming increasingly narcissistic, but no one has ever looked at it over the length and breadth of generations, or how narcissism changes with age," said William Chopick, a psychology professor and lead author of the study.

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"There are things that happen in life that can shake people up a bit and force them to adapt their narcissistic traits," Chopik added. "As you grow older, you create new relationships, experience new experiences, start a family, and so on. All of these factors make someone realize that "it's not all around them," and as you grow older you think more about the world you might leave behind. "

It's all me and I. Until my first job comes. Girl doing selfie (Photo: ShutterStock)

Instagram selfie (Photo: ShutterStock)

Research suggests that some traits, such as high aspirations, grow with age. However, the most significant moment when a person's narcissism is reduced is when he finds himself in his first job.

Of the investigators, young adults were identified as the fastest-changing age group, although researchers argue that changes in the level of narcissism persist throughout life and do not necessarily end at a certain age. "A key characteristic of narcissists is that they are not open to criticism," Professor Chopik continued. "When life happens and you have to get negative feedback, say goodbye to someone or deal with a tragedy, you may have to adapt to the realization that you are not as amazing as you once thought. There is a sense that narcissists are beginning to understand that the way they are behaving will not help them if they want to have meaningful friends or relationships ".

What do previous studies say?

The scientific and social interest in narcissism has been increasing in recent years, probably due to cultural changes in recent decades that encourage narcissistic behavior - among elected leaders in politics, social media activity, celebs, and of course, selfies.

Research over the past two years at Queen's University in Belfast on narcissism has presented a fresh approach to the study of personality and psychopathology, and has shown that there are some positive things to be found in terms of potential social impact. A survey of 700 subjects found that people with grandiose narcissistic traits were "mentally tough", feeling less stressed and less vulnerable to depression. The conclusion was that narcissism increases mental resilience, which can offset the symptoms of depression.

In trying to understand why narcissistic behavior - which is supposedly socially toxic, is on the rise in modern society, it seems that narcissists may actually be happier than most people. Because their stress levels are lower, their sense of security and self-importance appear to be protective features.