I’d just add — with reference to the “to be followed, to be liked” comment – if you know someone who is posting on facebook multiple times every single day reporting events of their lives or sharing various articles or cat videos or whatever — chances are, that person is an introvert. Facebook is a godsend for introverts because it enables people to have a social life and a circle of friends all within the privacy and comfortable solitude of their own home, without actually ever having to deal with people face-to-face, or even engage in a 2-way conversation.
Many introverts enjoy interacting with their computers and smartphones immensely.
And why is my post count at CC approaching 20,000?
Because I’m an introvert … spending countless hours all by myself, just me and my laptop. If I shared my extraverted daughter’s lifestyle, I’d never have time for all of this.
I’m not talking about social media. As far as extrovert not liking socializing, most introvert do enjoy socializing but they do it without the need to be bell of the ball or life of the party.
But most extraverts also enjoy socializing without trying to be the center of attention. Yes, there are people who do like to hog all the attention, but that’s a different personality trait - not a characteristic of extraversion.
Introverts are just as capable of focusing on the needs of others and helping friends in need as extroverts. I think what you’re describing is social anxiety, not introversion. Social anxiety is a condition that may be helped by professional intervention.
I think introversion and extroversion, which are neurotypical traits, and the conditions that lie on the opposite ends of the mental health spectrum (extreme shyness, social anxiety, narcissism, etc) are different, and the differences between them are important. There are a lot of kids who struggle with some aspect of reading, writing, and math, but even though they share some traits with people who are dyslexic, dysgraphic, and dyscalculic they aren’t the same. If we ignore differences then we miss people who have real, treatable conditions.
