The Psychological Dynamics Of Flexing Behavior Among College Students

Abstract

Flexing is a common term or slang that describes the act of excessive self-promotion when someone is showing off something. For instance, the practice of often publishing material after purchasing a new item, the practice of sharing accomplishments frequently on social media, or the practice of sharing numerous and frequently vacation images. The qualitative research in this paper, which employs a grounded theory methodology, focuses on the flexing behavior displayed by participants who are college students. This research seeks to "understand the types of flexing behavior, its patterns, and the psychological mechanisms that underlie it”. Due to their lifestyle and peer-reported patterns, adolescents exhibit flexing behavior at alarmingly high rates. If this flexing activity interferes with activities, causes harm to others, or alters people's perceptions of themselves, it might be classified as a problem. They take a lot of time and money and don't even come close to meeting the demands of the show, therefore it's fascinating to talk about this phenomena. Participants as the main data source in this study were determined using purposive sampling with the criterias are as follows: female students, aged 18-23 years and exhibiting flexing behavior. The findings revealed that the psychological dynamics of flexing actors among students were caused by unrealistic expectations of external effects, fear of rejection, a high demand for self-existence, and personality variables. Furthermore, the advancement of time and digital technology, such as the growth of social media, has made this behavior more popular and common among students.