There’s a problem that’s become more and more prevalent across social media, popping up in nearly every comment section and thread… it seems that personalized algorithms have caused people to forget that not everything they encounter online is made exclusively for them.

From the Bean Soup controversy and beyond, people have noticed what feels like a drop in critical thinking skills dovetailing with an uptick in self-centeredness. And it seems that a lesser-known culprit might be at the root of the problem: covert narcissism. So, how is this different from the regular narcissism we’re used to and why has it seemingly taken over online? (And… is there any hope of things changing for the better?) Let’s take a closer look…