Narcissism's Impact on Teen Life: The Daily Struggles Narcissistic Teens Face & How to Cope
It’s true that many teens show behaviours that resemble NPD while still acting perfectly typical for their age. But the problem with the “wait and see” approach is that real struggles can slip through the cracks, and silence often gives them even more room to grow.
If you’re concerned that signs of narcissism in your teen are more than typical teen behaviors, a mental health professional can talk to you about the likelihood of NPD. They can also discuss potential treatment options if necessary.
This article focuses on:
How NPD shapes a teen’s daily life- The effect of NPD on school and friendships
- The challenges NPD can bring into the home
- What NPD means for parents and family dynamics
- Common barriers that keep parents from seeking help
- Where families can turn for support
What Is NPD and Can Teens Be Diagnosed With It?
But it’s worth noting that the guidelines for NPD diagnosis are built with adults in mind. This is because adolescence is a time when self-focus and wanting to be admired are common parts of growing up. These behaviours may look like signs of narcissism, but they’re often tied to identity formation and usually soften with maturity. Because of this, most clinicians are cautious about diagnosing NPD in teenagers.3
Therefore, a diagnosis is usually only considered when behaviours are persistent or harmful to them or those around them.
Narcissism's Impact on teen life explained
It can be difficult to picture how narcissistic traits play out in everyday life, especially if you’re not dealing with the disorder yourself. What might look like odd or frustrating behaviour on the surface may actually come from thought patterns that feel very real to your teen. This is why it’s important to break down the different areas where narcissism could have an impact. These areas include the following:
Bullying
When a teen with NPD is desperate to be noticed or admired, school life can quickly turn into a competition. The drive to be on top of the social ladder may spill into put-downs or outright bullying. Not because cruelty is the goal, but because a sense of status feels so fragile.
Research with young people suggests this is true, showing that higher narcissism is tied to bullying as a way to secure dominance.4 In fact, some studies even suggest that narcissism and bullying can rise together over time,5 turning what may start as occasional slips into a daily pattern.
The risk becomes even clearer when embarrassment enters the picture. What most would see as playful teasing could mean something completely different for someone with NPD. Studies have shown that when teens with NPD experience what they perceive to be shame,6 it can become the starting point of an aggressive reaction.
So, if we put this information together…
The desire for dominance through aggression + the strong reaction to shame + the fact that narcissistic traits grow with bullying behaviours
… then it’s clear to see how this type of behavior can form.
Hyper-Reactivity to Criticism
Let’s be honest, no one likes being corrected, but for those with strong narcissistic traits, even a small critique can feel like a personal attack. From a teen’s perspective, these feelings might stem from an offhanded comment from a friend or constructive feedback from a teacher. In the previous section, we looked at how shame may create aggression, and the same theme appears here, but with a slightly different reaction. For a vulnerable narcissist, especially in moments they perceive as shameful, it may lead them to retreat or react defensively, not necessarily aggressively.7
Low “Everyday” Empathy
If your teen often steers conversations back to themselves or treats friends more like stepping stones than companions, this could be a sign of low empathy.
Low empathy does not necessarily mean someone fails to understand others; in fact, studies suggest that people higher in pathological narcissism can often recognize what someone else is feeling.8 The difficulty may lie in affective empathy, which is the ability to actually feel alongside another person. Without this connection, their responses can take on cold empathy, where the words are correct but the warmth is missing.9
For teenagers, this gap can weigh heavily on friendships. While your teen may believe they are supportive or prosocial, peers often see something very different. Research with adolescents has shown that the mismatch between self-perception and peer perception is common, with classmates describing these teens as “less caring” or more “antagonistic.”10
For the teen, the saddest part might be that they cannot see the version of themselves their friends are reacting to.
Attention-Seeking Online
When a teen feels rejected or overlooked, social media might be the first place they turn for comfort. For those with stronger narcissistic traits, the urge to repair their image after a setback could show up as frequent posting or even posting risky content that grabs attention.11
Research into this pattern backs up this theory, suggesting that when teens high in narcissism experience social rejection, they may be more likely to increase attention-seeking online. Broader reviews also point to a link between grandiose narcissism and heavier use of social media, where the pull for attention gradually takes over.
At first glance, this may not seem like a big deal, especially when most of us use social media to share views or seek a reaction. The difference is that for teens with narcissistic traits, these platforms could turn into a daily stage for fragile self-esteem. In fact, recent studies have suggested that this can develop into a form of social media addiction.12 While this addiction can be difficult to notice from the outside, it can quietly reinforce narcissistic behaviours while taking a toll on a teen’s wellbeing.
Difficulty With Closeness in the Home
So far, we’ve looked at how a teen with NPD might struggle in social and school settings, but it’s just as important to consider how they could be affected at home. Some parents describe a push-pull dynamic, where their teen seeks attention yet seems to hold genuine closeness at a distance. This may be connected to the more vulnerable side of narcissism,13 in which feelings of shame make trust feel risky, even with family.
Research with young people suggests that vulnerable narcissism can be tied to higher levels of shame and greater difficulty staying close, with these feelings sometimes linked to insecure attachment patterns. For parents, this could show up as extreme sensitivity to what seems like small slights, followed by retreat into self-protection. It can leave families caught in a paradox: the teen longs for connection but may not know how to stay in it once it happens.
The Next Steps to NPD Treatment
Living with the challenges mentioned can be exhausting, not only for your teen but for you as parents, too. As we’ve covered, narcissistic traits can have direct impacts on the lives of people involved, and that in itself can feel overwhelming.
If you suspect that narcissism could be playing a role in your child’s life, it may help to consider the value of early support. Intervention at this stage might not change everything overnight, but it could make a real difference in how your teen learns to manage emotions and move forward in healthier ways.
However, many teens with narcissism – and their parents – face a number of barriers to receiving effective treatment, which we discuss next.
The Fear Around Reaching Out
It’s also natural to worry about what happens once you take the step toward treatment. Talking to someone outside the family can feel exposing, and you may wonder how others will see you or your child. These are not small, isolated fears, and research shows they are common among parents who hold back from seeking help.1
Some of the main barriers parents and teens can face include:
Fearing negative attitudes from friends, teachers, or the wider community if they admit their child is struggling- Feeling that asking for help means they have failed, or that they should be able to manage things on their own
- Preferring to solve difficulties inside the home, hoping that with patience and care, the problems will fade
- Thinking that input from relatives or friends is judgment instead of encouragement, increasing feelings of doubt
If you find yourself aligning with some of these barriers, we know it’s not coming from a lack of care, but more about protection. While waiting can feel safer in the moment, it rarely changes the difficulties you and your teen are facing in your life. This can leave many parents with the next question: how does a teenager even get help for something like NPD? It can feel like a big and uncertain step, but this is exactly why support services exist – to guide you and your family forward.
Mission Prep: Changing Lives for Teens and Families
Getting help for narcissistic traits is not only about supporting your teen; it can also change the daily reality for your whole family. At Mission Prep, we work with families who feel caught in cycles they can’t break on their own, offering care for teens struggling with:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- ADHD
- Trauma (PTSD)
- Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), and more.
Because every young person’s needs are different, we don’t rely on a single model of treatment. Our team uses therapies such as CBT, DBT, family therapy, and group support in ways that fit your teen’s challenges while also giving parents the tools and reassurance they’ve been missing.
For some families, our residential program can offer a chance to step away from daily pressures and focus fully on healing. For others, our intensive outpatient program allows teens to stay connected to home and school while still receiving structured therapy.
Taking the first step can feel daunting, but it may also be the point where life begins to shift. If you’re ready to bring lasting change for your teen and relief to your family, contact Mission Prep today. Together, we can help you move forward with confidence and hope.
Frequently Asked Questions About Narcissism Impact on Teen Life
While we hope this guide helped you better understand the impact of narcissism on daily life, you may still have some concerns. For this reason, we’ve provided responses to some FAQs about narcissism.
What Is Daily Life Like With a Narcissist?
Living with a narcissist can be tricky, especially when they’re a teenager. The issue here is the unpredictability of their moods, and sometimes it can feel as though you’re walking on eggshells while they’re around.
Can a 15-Year-Old Be a Narcissist?
At fifteen, self-focus is normal, but some teens show traits that go further and can start to strain relationships or daily life. If the strain is severe, clinicians may consider a diagnosis based on the teen’s personal situation. However, it’s good to note that diagnoses of NPD in teens are rare.
How Does Narcissistic Personality Disorder Affect Daily Life?
For a teen living with NPD, it may seem as though their lives are fully shaped by the disorder. It can make school feel overwhelming and friendships shaky. At home, what begins as closeness can quickly shift to distance, leaving both the teen and their family worn out by the constant strain. These impacts often make professional support necessary.
References
- Reardon, T., Harvey, K., Baranowska, M., O’Brien, D., Smith, L., & Creswell, C. (2017). What Do Parents Perceive Are the Barriers and Facilitators to Accessing Psychological Treatment for Mental Health Problems in Children and adolescents? a Systematic Review of Qualitative and Quantitative Studies. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 26(6), 623–647. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-016-0930-6
- American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596
- Robitz, R. (2022). What are personality disorders? American Psychiatric Association. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/personality-disorders/what-are-personality-disorders
- Reijntjes, A., Vermande, M., Thomaes, S., Goossens, F., Olthof, T., Aleva, L., & Van der Meulen, M. (2015). Narcissism, Bullying, and Social Dominance in Youth: A Longitudinal Analysis. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 44(1), 63–74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-015-9974-1
- Farrell, A. H., & Vaillancourt, T. (2020). Bullying Perpetration and Narcissistic Personality Traits across Adolescence: Joint Trajectories and Childhood Risk Factors. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.483229
- Thomaes, S., Bushman, B. J., Stegge, H., & Olthof, T. (2008). Trumping Shame by Blasts of Noise: Narcissism, Self-Esteem, Shame, and Aggression in Young Adolescents. Child Development, 79(6), 1792–1801. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2008.01226.x
- Brummelman, E., & Sedikides, C. (2020). Raising Children With High Self‐Esteem (But Not Narcissism). Child Development Perspectives, 14(2). https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12362
- Baskin-Sommers, A., Krusemark, E., & Ronningstam, E. (2014). Empathy in narcissistic personality disorder: From clinical and empirical perspectives. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 5(3), 323–333. https://doi.org/10.1037/per0000061
- Hart, W., Tortoriello, G. K., & Richardson, K. (2020). Why are narcissistic people cold? A cognitive account emphasizing the perceived momentousness of successes and failures. Personality and Individual Differences, 153, 109596. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2019.109596
- Barry, C. T., Sidoti, C. L., & Wong, M. (2020). Peer Perceptions of Communal Narcissism and Communalism in At-Risk Adolescents. Journal of Individual Differences, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1027/1614-0001/a000334
- Hawk, S. T., van den Eijnden, R. J. J. M., van Lissa, C. J., & ter Bogt, T. F. M. (2019). Narcissistic adolescents’ attention-seeking following social rejection: Links with social media disclosure, problematic social media use, and smartphone stress. Computers in Human Behavior, 92(92), 65–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.10.032
- Casale, S., & Banchi, V. (2020). Narcissism and problematic social media use: A systematic literature review. Addictive Behaviors Reports, 11(100252), 100252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2020.100252
- Barry, C. T., & Kauten, R. L. (2013). Nonpathological and Pathological Narcissism: Which Self-Reported Characteristics Are Most Problematic in Adolescents? Journal of Personality Assessment, 96(2), 212–219. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223891.2013.830264
