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@jburnmurdoch: NEW: Is the internet changing our personalities for the worse? Conscientiousness and extroversion are down, neuroticism up, w

By: John Burn-Murdoch

Published: Aug 8, 2025

NEW: Is the internet changing our personalities for the worse?

Conscientiousness and extroversion are down, neuroticism up, with young adults leading the charge.

This is a really consequential shift, and there’s a lot going on here, so let’s get into the weeds

First up, personality analysis can feel vague, and you might well ask why it even matters?

On the first of those, the finding of distinct personality traits is robust. This field of research has been around for decades and holds up pretty well, even across cultures.

On the second, studies consistently find personality shapes life outcomes.

In fact, personality traits — esp conscientiousness and neuroticism — are stronger predictors of career success, divorce and mortality than someone’s socio-economic background or cognitive abilities.

Highly conscientious people (dependable, disciplined, committed) fare best of all. They live the longest, succeed at work, their relationships last.

This makes sense. Life isn’t just about knowing what you should do or having the resources to do it, it’s about following through.

Conscientiousness is especially critical in the modern world. Life today is full of temptations. From hyper-engaging digital media to online gambling, the ability to ignore it all and put long-term wellbeing ahead of short-term kicks becomes a superpower.

Generative AI could supercharge this dynamic.

A high-C student might use an LLM as a personal tutor to strengthen their knowledge of a concept; their low-C counterpart might task the same LLM with writing their essay, foregoing knowledge acquisition altogether.

So, that’s conscientiousness.

At the other end of the spectrum, people high in neuroticism (anxious, often tense, feel emotions very strongly) tend to face more challenges in life.

Relationships break down, work life is difficult, stress can bring health problems.

That’s what makes this chart so important.

People are changing in ways that decades of research suggests will lead to worse life outcomes, and this is particularly true of today’s teens, twenty- and thirty-somethings.

First up, personality analysis can feel vague, and you might well ask why it even matters?

On the first of those, the finding of distinct personality traits is robust. This field of research has been around for decades and holds up pretty well, even across cultures.

On the second, studies consistently find personality shapes life outcomes.

Highly conscientious people (dependable, disciplined, committed) fare best of all. They live the longest, succeed at work, their relationships last.

This makes sense. Life isn’t just about knowing what you should do or having the resources to do it, it’s about following through.

Generative AI could supercharge this dynamic.

So, that’s conscientiousness.

At the other end of the spectrum, people high in neuroticism (anxious, often tense, feel emotions very strongly) tend to face more challenges in life.

Relationships break down, work life is difficult, stress can bring health problems.

That’s what makes this chart so important.

People are changing in ways that decades of research suggests will lead to worse life outcomes, and this is particularly true of today’s teens, twenty- and thirty-somethings.

If the headline terms still feel fuzzy, we can dig into the more detailed traits they’re made up of.

Here are some of the sub-traits inside conscientiousness:

Young people say they increasingly struggle to make plans and follow through on them. They feel distracted, careless.

They also say they feel less outgoing and talkative (true of everyone, but especially young adults). Young people also report feeling less helpful and less trusting, as well as more argumentative.

Again: these are people’s own self-assessments, not others’ descriptions of them.

These detailed traits lead me to point the finger at the digital world.

Ubiquitous and hyper-engaging digital media has led to an explosion in distraction, as well as making it easier than ever to either not make plans in the first place or to abandon them last minute.

To put it another way: distractions derail our intentions. And we’re now more distracted than ever.

Distraction is toxic to conscientiousness.

As @kylascan has written, the sheer convenience of the online world makes real-life commitments feel messy and effortful

The in-person world encourages conscientiousness. The digital world gives you an opt-out.

Rejection, Convenience, and the Budget Deficit

The rise of time spent online and accompanying decline in face-to-face interactions mean less social policing of bad behaviours like “ghosting”. See @_alice_evans here:

If you’re low-C on the internet, you don’t pay the price. Not immediately, at least...

Why do so many people complain that online dating is rife with deception, harassment and ghosting?

And note the timing of that steep young adult dip in extroversion:

The pandemic years when young people bore the brunt of restrictions on socialising in order to protect others from harm.

Long the most extroverted group in society, young adults are now the most introverted.

But I want to end on a more empowering note:

Unlike parental background and genetic make-up, there is a wealth of evidence that personality is malleable — what has been eroded can be rebuilt.

Conscientiousness will separate those who just survive from those who thrive in the 21st century. We can each decide which half of that divide we fall on — but ironically that will take some dedication.

Here’s my article in full:

By: John Burn-Murdoch

Published: Aug 8, 2025

What are the key attributes that shape the length and quality of our careers, relationships and lives more broadly? The socio-economic environment we grow up in certainly has a substantial influence, with parental prosperity acting as a propellant or a key to unlock crucial doors. Cognitive abilities are another obvious one: they enable better decision-making in all aspects of life. But another factor often gets less credit despite being just as important: personality.

In fact, studies consistently find that traits such as conscientiousness (the quality of being dependable and disciplined), emotional stability or agreeableness have a stronger link with professional success, relationship durability and longevity than the links between those outcomes and someone’s intelligence or socio-economic background.

Of all personality types, conscientious people tend to fare best on a number of key measures. They live the longest, have the most career success and are less likely to go through divorce. They even manage to hold down a job during recessions. Intuitively, this makes sense. Life isn’t just about knowing what you should do, or having the resources to do it, it’s about following through. Being motivated and persistent is a huge help.

Some studies suggest the advantage of conscientiousness is growing over time, and it’s easy to imagine why. When contemporary daily life is full of temptations — from always-on mobile internet and the lures of social media and online gambling, to hyper-palatable foods — the ability to ignore it all and put long-term wellbeing ahead of short-term kicks becomes a superpower.

Generative artificial intelligence could supercharge this dynamic. An industrious student who is not deterred by a challenge might use a large language model as a personal tutor to strengthen their knowledge of a concept; their less conscientious counterpart might task the same LLM with writing their essay, foregoing knowledge acquisition altogether.

All this makes it disconcerting that levels of conscientiousness in the population appear to be in decline. Extending a pioneering 2022 US study which identified early signs of a drop during the pandemic, I found a sustained erosion of conscientiousness, with the fall especially pronounced among young adults.

Digging deeper into the data, which comes from the Understanding America Study, we can see that people in their twenties and thirties in particular report feeling increasingly easily distracted and careless, less tenacious and less likely to make and deliver on commitments.

While a full explanation of these shifts requires thorough investigation, and there will be many factors at work, smartphones and streaming services seem likely culprits. The advent of ubiquitous and hyper-engaging digital media has led to an explosion in distraction, as well as making it easier than ever to either not make plans in the first place or to abandon them. The sheer convenience of the online world makes real-life commitments feel messy and effortful. And the rise of time spent online and the attendant decline in face-to-face interactions enable behaviours such as “ghosting”.

Collapsing conscientiousness is not the only personality shift visible in the data. Neuroticism — a function of the much-discussed increase in anxiety — has risen almost as much. Young adults also report feeling less amiable and outgoing. There’s a particularly steep drop shown in the latter during the pandemic, when young people bore the brunt of restrictions on contact in order to protect others from harm. In fact, long the most extroverted group in society, young adults are now the most introverted.

While the terminology of personality can feel vague, the science is solid. Decades of research consistently finds that all these shifts are in the direction associated with negative outcomes down the line. Life is full of challenges. A less committed, less connected and more easily distressed cohort will navigate them less well.

But while the trends are undoubtedly troubling, we shouldn’t be fatalistic. Unlike parental background and genetic make-up, there is a wealth of evidence that personality is malleable — what has been eroded can be rebuilt. Conscientiousness will separate those who just survive from those who thrive in the 21st century. We can each decide which half of that divide we fall on — but ironically that will take some dedication.

#John Burn Murdoch #psychology #human psychology #conscientiousness #extraversion #intraversion #neuroticism #agreeableness #religion is a mental illness

The moment you tie kindness to any material and tangible thing or any skewed, selfish ideology ... You begin your journey into a downward spiral and eventually face the failure of your human mission on this planet and in multiple planes of existence.

Te Mechanics

Te is a function that defines objects by their interactions with other objects (Je) while also experiencing them as having an inanimate (T) character. Causal dynamics are thus registered mechanistically as impersonal clockwork operations following cleanly from their premises. This inanimate assignment occurs even if the objects are technically alive; in this case, the entities are still examined clinically but as complex biological systems with various requirements for optimal functioning. These needs may be met through actions, while those actions are still registered as being mechanical.

Process-Orientation

Like all types, the Te user is motivated by a desire for truth, which they pursue uniquely. The Te user will instinctively understand reality in a process-oriented manner, seeking to answer questions of truth as a relationship between the antecedent and consequent. Te's core curiosity is the space between the input/output and what happens within it, making Te an altogether causality-oriented process. While all people can -- if their attention is so turned -- reason out a causal sequence, the Te user will do so with far greater speed and regularity. They will love theories, systems, models, and languages where there are interactions between variables and actions that can result from their calculations. This often leads to a magnetic attraction to computer programming, the art/language of pure logical computation, and the relationships between objects- whether physical or intangible variables (digits, numbers)- that become the primary focus of the Te user.

Moreover, when this habit becomes excessive, it can lead to a mechanical mind that always tries to make sense of things through logical sequences. The Te user may apply the same computational approach to other more human domains of life and come across as robotic to family or friends. They may develop a reputation as a code junkie or nerd as they spend a great deal of their time engrossed in technical pursuits. The Te user wants more than anything to understand "how things work," how the pieces fit together, and how all of this comes about through the collision of variables. The Te user is not content with a general answer but desires to know the precise order of operations that leads necessarily to the actions we see before us.

Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics

Because of this attitude, the Te user quickly develops a thirst for scientific questions. Their pursuit of knowing the dynamic workings of things leads them to ask, "How do bacteria create organic matter out of chemical reactions at the bottom of the ocean?" "how do moons like Titan fit into the formation of the early solar system?" or "Where do ultra-high energy particles come from?" The Te user will commonly develop an affinity for domains such as astronomy, biology, chemistry, and physics, the latter offering a concise platform and language for understanding causal and objective relations. The Te user is highly pragmatic in their pursuit and framing of truth, often evaluating the reality of a thing by its observable effects. They tend towards empiricism and highly value precise measurement in their understanding. Quantification is critical to the Te user, as it allows for the rigorous study of phenomenon and their interactions. This proclivity often blossoms into an appreciation and immersion in engineering, which presents a practical operationalization of those essential laws. The Te function is responsible for much of our scientific advancement in the past century. There is little more stimulating to the Te user than to achieve ever higher orders of aptitude through the discovery, creation, and application of elegant logistical systems.

Economics & Business/Law

However, their understanding of causal relations is broader than the sciences. Indeed, many Te users will forego the sciences and apply their logistical comprehension directly to the financial sector. They will gravitate to fields like economics, law, and, by extension, government for its interconnection with the former. Moreover, just as the scientists do in their respective domains, the Te economist will understand the social world as a system of variables which, if rightly maneuvered and arranged, will give specific, predictable outcomes and revenues. Numbers, graphs, and statistical reports may populate stacks on their desk as they wrestle with bureaucracy. Many Te users will start business enterprises, taking the road of the entrepreneur and businessman. Over a few Te users have developed an acute interest in politics, campaigning for high and low office positions.

Moreover, while they can be seen from all stripes, the strong Te politician more naturally aligns with a classical/laissez-faire economic policy where people and business owners can trade willingly based on an agreed value/demand without government interventions. Over-regulation and over-taxation, the Te user may protest, is an unethical exploitation of the efforts of business owners. The Te user may hold a meritocratic view and wish for their (or anyone's) financial success to depend solely on their hard work and not have their assets appropriated by ideological infringements.

Challenge & Conscientiousness

Moreover, this financial proclivity arises from a deeper drive in the Te user, a native, and often powerful, compulsion towards agency. The strong Te user cannot stand being idle and may be plagued by a craving for challenge, action, and achievement, impulses that are all the more facilitated by their procedural comprehension of life. They will tend to be efficient, constantly wishing to "get things done" and optimally structure their lives. An affinity for order often develops from this compulsion, which drives many Te users to regiment their energies, developing diligence and structure carefully. Some may go as far as to organize their house/work by labels and folders, while others may have a disorderly house but a specialized protocol in their areas of interest. In all these manifestations, Te's capacity for agency is combined with an insensitivity to feelings - particularly of one's weakness. Once a goal is set in the mind of the Te user, they may become a diehard busybody and be unyielding in their expectations of themselves to the point of physical exhaustion. Staying busy may have its addictive quality, aside from the benefits of becoming self-empowered and achieving security. Thus, many strong Te users experience burnout at some point in their careers as they push aside the body's limitations and place their ambitions above moderation and health. This tendency may also earn them a reputation for being militant and unrelenting. Family members and loved ones may retaliate against an overly controlled home environment.

Management & Leadership

However, despite the complications this potency may cause at home or with their intimates, the Te user's conscientiousness is highly coveted in the workforce. So long as their tasks and obligations align with their long-term goals, they can perform consistently and will have fewer problems than many in climbing the chain of command and landing in managerial positions. They will instinctively understand and accept the need to do what is necessary and not just what is easy. Their solutions-oriented mentality adds confidence, effectiveness, and resoluteness to any leadership roles they may undertake. However, this added responsibility can also lead to frustrations for the Te user who, when in a group setting, is confined/limited by the motivations and wills of others who may not share their level of resoluteness. It can be challenging to negotiate duties with others, as the Te user often lacks the grace or tact to present their reasoning in a friendly and sensitive manner. Navigating the emotional landscapes of others is one of the Te user's most significant difficulties. It may feel tempting and far more straightforward for them to take the reigns and finish the task by themselves than to mediate a middle ground with others.

Bluntness & Argumentation

This difficulty with emotional negotiation is compounded partly by Te's blunt articulation, which is often outspoken and unfiltered. In their pursuit of succinct and forthright argumentation, the strong Te user may develop a reputation for being tactless. Unless great efforts are taken to mitigate this bracing verbal effect, niceties will be omitted from the Te user's delivery as they present their reasoning matter-of-factly and with a deadpan expression. They will speak their minds even (or perhaps especially) on taboo or politically controversial topics. It is of less concern to the Te user that their opinion be popular with the crowd than for it to be genuinely theirs. However, this honesty can also be highly refreshing to others, as the Te user will not shy away from stating the facts as they appear before them with no compromise or dilution of truth - especially when others may be biting their tongue for fear of offense. However, many Te users learn over time to smooth the edges of their presentation by incorporating dry or sarcastic humor. The Te user can be very witty, interjecting commentary at a moment's notice and releasing the tension in the room that their frankness would otherwise cause.

-Behaviors Under Stress

Steamrolling

Steamrolling refers to the continued advancement of an agenda through a series of obstacles with little consideration of what consequences or devastations may emerge. The Te user is usually aware of the steps needed for something to occur, but when plagued by distress, all that matters is resolving the crisis. "I need to get to the other side of this" is the single phrase that echoes in the mind of the stressed Te user, and in those moments, all consideration of complexity is lost as their mind entirely narrows down to a single solution. They may say to others, "It does not matter how just do it," or "If it cannot perform, it is out." If the setting is the workforce, droves of people may be cut away from their jobs without notice. Protocols are skipped over. There is a complete inconsideration of anything that does not work here and now for the given goal—that which cannot output is eliminated. People may be treated as pawns or kept or removed based on their logistical value. The Te user places 110% of their energy into manifesting their outcome, and when the dust has finally settled, they are left to contend with the consequences of their decision. While they may have made it to the other side, friendships may be lost or irreparably damaged. Family members may be ostracized, and new public enemies may be created.

It is proper to reconsider whether or not one should carry out any rash undertaking, or anything not thoroughly thought through, even if one has already promised to do it.

Śāntideva, Bodhicaryāvatāra, Crosby & Skilton tr. (4:2)

#philosophy #quotes #Śāntideva #Bodhicaryāvatāra #awareness #conscientiousness #thinking #choices #ethics

I wish I could be stupid and selfish like so many other people. It’s way much easier than coherent conscientiousness. They just go about their business, doing whatever they feel like, whenever they feel like it, enjoying themselves the whole time, and then when the inevitable consequences of their choices come crashing down around them, and others too, they just blame everyone and everything except themselves.

#stupid #selfish #rational #conscientiousness

Not sure if you celebrate but if so happy Thanksgiving and if not I hope you have a lovely day anyway!

I do, and thanks. I hope if you also celebrate it, you are enjoying it. :)

It marks the end of a "time off" period for me. I don't know if it's being sp/so or scoring high on conscientiousness, but I have trouble taking time off -- even when I hit that period of depression that follows the mental release of finishing an enormous project like writing a book. So it's weird to be simultaneously depressed, low in energy, and not wanting to do anything -- and feeling as if I'm doing something wrong to just lay on the couch with my cats and binge-watch Angel on Hulu (aka, "You should be accomplishing something!"). In typical "me" fashion I've decided tomorrow morning, I go back on a schedule of writing (I'm over half done with a new novel's first draft), and getting things done (I plan to fill some requests and get out my Christmas decorations, maybe put some up).

#conscientiousness #big five #sp/so

Turns out, bees and spiders can be lazy too! While we previously thought only humans exhibited conscientiousness in their personalities, scientists are finding that animals also vary in how responsible and hardworking they can be.

#animal behavior #psychology #conscientiousness #animal science #scishow #scishow psych