The Rise of the Introverts

Examining the Emergence of the Introvert Identity in Our Asocial Society

I recently heard someone remark that “this world is made for extraverts” and to a certain extent, it’s true: Study after study demonstrates that extraverts are, on average, more successful and even happier than their introverted counterparts. Their incomes are more likely to increase, they have greater educational attainment, and they’re more likely to end up in high-paying jobs. One recent study even showed that even just pretending to be extraverted results in improvements to one’s well-being.

Despite the clear benefits of extraversion, it seems like everywhere I turn people are not only normalizing asocial (or even antisocial) behaviour, but they are celebrating introversion and framing it as a core feature of their identity rather than a small component of their personality. Rather than seeking to improve their social skills and capacity, they are giving in to their introverted compulsions — reinforcing the very drives that erode their chances of leading a happy and meaningful life.

Thinking this might be all in my head, I turned to Google Trends and examined the relative prevalence of the terms “introvert", “introversion”, and “introverted” since 2004 (See Figure 1). What I found was no surprise: Between 2011 and 2014 the term "introvert" saw a significant uptick in searches, while "introversion" and "introverted" remained fairly stable. This is interesting because not only does it suggest that more and more people are searching for these terms, but they are especially interested in the identity component of being an introvert.

Figure 1. Relative Frequency of Search for “Introvert”, “Introversion”, and Introverted, Google Trends, 2004 to 2023.

Over the past several years, beginning with my PhD thesis, I’ve studied how the digital age has transformed our lives, including how we understand ourselves and relate to each other. The Google Trends data shown above suggests a growing awareness and self-identification around the introvert label, separate from a comprehensive understanding of introversion as a psychological construct. This phenomenon can be seen as a form of class consciousness around introverted personality traits, where individuals are increasingly categorizing themselves based on specific behavioural markers. Rather than seeing opportunities to exercise self-discipline, they think of introversion as an excuse and rationale to withdraw. This puts introverts at risk, who might mistakenly believe that they naturally require less social interaction, when in fact, we find that introverts suffer even more than extraverts when they have less social connection.

Personally, I believe that social media and tech-mediated communication platforms have been instrumental in this trend. Indeed, not only have these forms of social interaction made it incredibly easy for us to separate ourselves from others, but we have also allowed ourselves to be bombarded by videos, memes, and articles celebrating asocial and anti-social themes. To illustrate this, over the past several months I’ve kept a score of videos in my Instagram feed that celebrate prosocial (e.g., friendship, connection) and anti-social (e.g., introversion, cancelling plans, interpersonal conflict) themes. Results of this little study suggest that there is a more than twenty-to-one odds of seeing antisocial messaging compared to prosocial messaging. Though due to the algorithmic nature of social media platforms, I recognize that this could significantly vary from person to person. For me, however, this is enough to conclude that the temporal correlation between the rise of popular and powerful social media apps and the rise of the introvert search term is not simply a coincidence.

Rather, it seems obvious that this shift in societal norms, facilitated by the digital age, aligns behaviors once considered asocial—such as spending significant time alone or preferring text-based communication—with a new celebrated and protected identity: that of the introvert. While these traits are not inherently detrimental, their glorification can serve to validate unhealthy behaviors, such as social withdrawal or excessive screen time, under the guise of introverted "self-care."

In my view, the romanticization of introversion carries with it several risks. First, decades of research demonstrate that spending significant amounts of time alone is hazardous to your health. Second, the celebration of introversion over prosocial extraversion can contribute to the erosion of social capital, as individuals increasingly retreat into their private spheres. I’m particularly worried that this may have uniquely harsh consequences for communities that rely on collective action to meet their needs. Third, it risks stigmatizing social interaction, which is key to mental and physical health. This might make people feel less comfortable striving to meet their basic human needs to connect with others. The desire to not be a burden or not bother someone or not impose on anyone else is already a huge barrier to interpersonal needs fulfillment. Lastly, the trend may contribute to a self-fulfilling prophecy, where labelling oneself as an introvert leads to behaviours that further isolate individuals. Social science is full of viscous cycles like this where cause and effect become intertwined in a spiral to the bottom.

In other words, while the rise of the introvert identity may seem benign or even empowering for some, it is crucial to consider the broader social and public health implications. We need public health efforts to combat these trends, to make it okay and even valued to be a social, connected, outgoing, loving, happy-go-lucky person. We cannot let ourselves sink into our introversion, and disappear from the world — no matter how easy such a life becomes.

We also need to ask ourselves about who benefits from an asocial society. What corporate and monied interests benefit from less sharing? Who wins when we are more reliant on economic rather than social supports? In answering these questions, it’s clear that the rise of the atomized, introverted identity is not a value-neutral phenomenon and that neither you nor I are winners in this new trend.