Andy Carvin of learning.now disputes the notion that Internet social-networking tools are to blame for the growing level of narcissism among young people. On the contrary, he argues, sites such as MySpace and YouTube are more about community than self-centeredness:
Sure, some people are there for vanity or proto-celebrity purposes, but most people are there for us, not me. They’re communities where people come together to find each other and bond over likeminded interests. They’re communities where people reinforce interpersonal relationships through sharing and creating content.
As with most new technologies, that is, it’s all in how you use them.