In Freud's time, public life was based on prohibitions and coercions, the victims of which were primarily women and the sexual sphere. It made people neurotic. Today we live in a world where “much is possible,” based on permissiveness and sometimes rejecting restrictions, without which true freedom is unthinkable. This is also why today individuals are increasingly being formed who are intolerant of any kind of disappointment: everything is available to them and should be available to them without delay. Digital technologies only strengthen us in this confidence, because thanks to them a person has less and less time, endurance and reasons to gain the experience of frustration, which is so necessary for the formation and development of a stable psyche. Modern man is often, at best, concerned with self-reflection, self-understanding and self-affirmation. The downside—the “dark” side—of focusing on individualism is arrogance, manipulativeness, disregard for moral standards, and problems establishing emotionally meaningful and trusting relationships. Preoccupation with oneself and an exaggerated sense of self-importance leaves an imprint on interpersonal relationships, which lead to a pronounced dominance of the superiority motive, the satisfaction of which is often accompanied by painful experiences and constant comparison of oneself with others. The narcissist chooses the path of least resistance, either by finding a social circle where he is a clear leader, or through the moral “destruction” of others. At the same time, social networks are an excellent environment for the realization of narcissistic needs because... provides the widest range of tools to create your image and your reality. On the one hand, publishing photos and spending some time on the Internet is unlikely to do any harm. On the other hand, in conditions of unconditional self-love and the impossibility of self-criticism, the seductiveness of technology step by step transfers life into fantasy. Social networks allow a person to build a virtual narcissistic citadel of a fragile and vulnerable “I”. A person filters information about himself, demonstrating only the desirable aspects of life, often in an exaggerated form. As a result, the background processes of substituting reality are accepted by the narcissist’s unconscious at face value more and more fully. And the possible exposure becomes more and more painful. At the same time, the neurotic characteristics of people with less pronounced narcissism undergo the risks of a biased assessment of themselves through comparison with ideal pictures of the images of “Others”. The seductiveness of the virtual world is also reinforced by the fact that the “stars” of social media. networks effectively self-actualize on the Internet, launch startups, turn their names into brands, launch global trends and make money from personal accounts in networks, selling their “skills,” “knowledge” and creativity to hundreds of thousands of people. Now they have the opportunity to become famous without putting in extra effort. At the same time, the rate of change in authorities and value guidelines, supported by modern trends, is steadily growing. Moreover, artificial intelligence and the breadth of capabilities of digital services (from food delivery to leisure platforms) through detailed adaptation to individual needs are being progressively and systematically created for each individual personality in an isolated environment in which there is less and less need to contact society and the real world. This tendency significantly reinforces egocentrism, infantilism and autonomizes the personality, cultivating individual needs and creating for everyone their own narcissistic “matrix” - the Mother, who instantly satisfies all desires and whims with her breast. Deprived of the experience of receiving disappointments, the narcissist cannot tolerate failure, shame, or frustration. For him, the inevitable mistakes of the training period are painful. Therefore, every like and comment on networks is becoming increasingly important, including for the constantly weakening need to support the receipt of hormonal stimuli. WITHBy increasing the time spent with digital services, the brain progressively weakens its sensitivity to the processes of dopamine production, which often leads to the need to obtain similar pleasure for more and more time with the device. Also, the most important role in supporting dopamine in the human body is played by the system of rewards and punishments, cleverly used by social network algorithms . This is where the same loosening and manipulation takes place, which is often the tool of the narcissist himself. Content you like is inspiring. In turn, being ignored gives rise to many negative emotions, from irritation to depression, which are so difficult for narcissists to experience. As a result, the true needs and value system of the individual are shifted. However, it is obvious that, contrary to popular opinion, not all representatives of the digital generation are insensitive dummies, they only want a better life, and one cannot blame them for this. The disunity of society due to diverse external factors is increasingly provokes the emergence of massive narcissistic trends. One of the key trends in the era of uncertainty, strongly supported by digitalization, is the increasing splitting of perceptions of reality in society and the increasing prevalence of collective narcissism (a phenomenon in which individuals exaggerate the positive image and importance of the group to which they belong). The process of transition from individual to group narcissism analyzed by Erich Fromm. In his works “The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness” and “Flight from Freedom” he comes to the conclusion that in the process of transition, gender, nation, religion, race become objects of narcissistic preference. Thus, narcissistic energy remains, but it is used in the interest of preserving the group, rather than preserving the life of the individual. Collective narcissists view groups as extensions of themselves and expect everyone to recognize not only their individual greatness, but also the prominence of their groups. On the other hand, Fromm and Adorno were of the opinion that narcissistic idealization of the group is often a strategy for protecting the weak and vulnerable self. Here we are talking about those who demonstrate excessive confidence in the superiority of their group, be it a gang, a religious community or a nation, but deep down they doubt the unity with the ideas of this group and therefore desire its recognition by others. It is also associated with high private and low public collective self-esteem, and low levels of implicit group respect. The main function of group narcissism is the manipulation of shared values ​​through external appeals. It is she who cements the group from within and leads to solidarity. Narcissism helps all members of the group feel important, and therefore gives a feeling of satisfaction. Consequently, the degree of group narcissism can often correspond to real dissatisfaction with life. Group narcissism is also considered one of the main sources of mass human aggressiveness. This form of collective defense differs from others in its enormous intensity, influencing processes of various scales: from local to global (from bullying to mass social disunity). And the problem is that such groups demand preferential treatment, rather than equal rights, often giving rise to xenophobia, chauvinism, terrorism and other everyday life of our time. Group narcissism performs important functions. First, collective interest requires solidarity, and appeal to common values ​​cements the group from within and makes it easier to manipulate the group as a whole. Second, narcissism creates a sense of satisfaction among group members, especially those who are of little value to themselves. Inciting social narcissism is not too expensive and extremely effective, involving voluntary assistants in the process: “It is enough to pay for the work of ideologists who formulate slogans aimed at inciting social narcissism. And many functionaries are ready to cooperate in this area, even for free. Thema reward such as the satisfaction of being involved in a worthy cause is enough.” The combination of fear and complacency of the collective narcissist gives rise to unprecedented aggression and blindness and deafness astonishing in the modern world. However, not all those who highly value their group feel insulted and react to real or imagined threats to the image of their group. And here it is important to understand why some believe that their group was insulted, while others do not? And the answer to this question, as it seems to us, often lies not only in the individual characteristics of the personality formation processes. Here it is extremely important to divide benign narcissism - aimed at creation, unification and motivation in performing common tasks, in which the object of narcissism is the result of the group’s own efforts. Thus, for example, someone may be filled with narcissistic pride in his work as a carpenter, scientist, or architect. The subject of malignant narcissism is not what the group does or produces, but what it has, such as wealth, power, status, etc. Therefore, malignant narcissism is not kept within limits and leads to nationalism and xenophobia. Analytically, the first type can be compared with the energy of Libido (Eros) and the other, with Martido (Tonatos). Individuals with pronounced malignant forms of collective narcissism may often not share a positive view of the group; they can only be driven by an irresistible desire to belong to the caste of the chosen or disadvantaged, whose position they intend to elevate and defend. A narcissist can spend his entire life on such imaginary needs, coming to his senses only at the end. Collective narcissists are not simply content with belonging to a group that has greater value. They focus their energy not on improving the group, but on monitoring how everyone around them recognizes and celebrates the special value of their group. Unlike narcissistic individuals, collective narcissists are in fusion with their group and the need for continuous external validation of its exaggerated importance is precisely what distinguishes collective narcissists from people who have a positive attitude towards the group to which they belong. However, when their self-esteem is invested in the value and greatness of their group, collective narcissists find motivation in improving the group rather than themselves. It is important here to understand the connection between collective narcissism and the tendency to react hostilely towards the other group in trivial everyday situations. If we can learn to eliminate the hostility that people who score high on collective narcissism experience and display, we can also learn to deradicalize entire groups of collective narcissists. To work to overcome malignant narcissistic tendencies, it is important to disseminate humanistic philosophy and anthropology, on the one hand, which recognizes cultural and value differences, and on the other hand, identifying similar elements of human existence. Another component of corrective measures may lie in the scientific orientation of the educational system, instilling critical thinking, recognition of reality and perception of truth. Such an approach could help overcome the narrow framework of individual or group egocentric perception, promote the acceptance of universal human values ​​and focus efforts on achieving specific socially significant goals. In coping with the above challenges, individual and, mainly, group psychotherapy, which, in the presence of professional facilitation, plays a crucial role makes it possible for narcissistic individuals to progressively re-identify with society, leading the psyche to the formation of a healthy “Ego”. In today's era of liminality, their relevance increases exponentially. In addition, professional, educational and other public associations and institutions that build their goals and ideals not on opposition to other communities and ideas, not on supporting antagonisms, but on uniting people in.