Researchers for the World Well-Being Project at the University of Pennsylvania found that people are less narcissistic as they grow older.

The study used Facebook posts from 75,000 volunteers. The volunteers also took a Interpersonal Personality Item Pool (IPIP) personality test measuring ‘Big Five’ traits looking for linguistic features to correlate with those aspects of their personality.

From there, researchers looked at their use of pronouns to measure their level of narcissism.

The data collected was broken down into age group.

The study found that older Facebook users used first-person plural pronouns “we” and “our” over first-person singular pronouns “I” and “me.”

Younger users used first-person singular pronouns excessively compared to first-person plural pronouns.

Lead research scientist for the World Well-Being Project H. Andrew Schwartz stated that the data shows the shifts in the stages of life between younger and older users.

Individuals who are younger and more “new” to the world tend to use first-person pronouns until they reach a more mature age.

From there, they begin to associate in groups, such as work associates and family members (i.e. husband, wife and kids).

This brings my mind to ease. I was beginning to worry for our generation. With the copious amount of selfles, vain tweets and humble bragging, our generation was doomed to be self-obsessed until we died.

But there is a glimmer of hope.

Somewhere in your twenties, it is claimed that we outgrow this ‘it’s all about me’ persona, and develop more positive traits.

A study in a Wall Street Journal article stated, “from the ages of 20 to 65, people report increases in positive traits, such as conscientiousness, and decreases in negative traits, such as neuroticism.”

This leads to people becoming more “agreeable, responsible and emotionally stable.”

Basically, people’s personalities improve.

We enter the real world, hold real responsibilities, and learn to fend for ourselves.

We aren’t sheltered anymore.

There isn’t as much time to worry about your how your hair looks or how badly you need a manicure and pedicure.

Priorities like work, relationships and financial needs overtake the vain expenditures you once “needed.”

This transcends to our social media whether we realize it or not.

As the study stated, we begin to use first-person plural pronouns. We stop taking selfles, and take photos with other people in them. We stray from using our phones 24/7 and become aware with the world around us.

The moment we are able to look at the world with a more objective view, then are we able to grow.

Putting ourselves aside, we grow to be emphatic for others and have a better understanding of problems greater than ourselves.

And that’s when we fully become active and participating members of society.