The growing use of social media has facilitated the rapid spread of content, factual or not, and has fueled a culture built on followers and likes. Clinicians have reported increasing trends of illnesses and disorders among individuals who view content on such conditions. One of the reasons for this is faking for secondary gain, even to the extreme of Factitious Disorder. The aim of this study is to augment the literature on individuals who feign illnesses or their severity on social media. Participants (N=533) completed a survey consisting of demographic questions, questions about faking behaviors in relation to social media, their social media usage, the Abbreviated Marlow-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, Dark Triad Scale, and Leary Need to Belong Scale. Individuals with high-faking behaviors exhibited significantly higher psychopathy and a lower need to convey social desirability than individuals exhibiting no faking behaviors. By conducting further research and gaining a deeper understanding of these individuals, effective treatments can be provided leading to a possible decrease in the prevalence of such illnesses and disorders.

No description available.