If you or a love one is suffering from main character syndrom, here are some side affects to look out for. They may not show up all at once when affected, but rather can gradually manifest over time. The best way to prevent the syndrome from worsening is to get ahead of the problem.
A side affect of MCS is a deep deep sense of self-importance. As a person becomes more and more engrossed in the online space and becoming an influencer, this sense of self importance grows immensely. More and more attention online correlates to more and more belief that everyone is obseesed with you, either in a good way or a bad way. This feeling may feel good in the moment, but your sense of reality is quickly slipping.
Another common side affect of MCS is a constant need for social media engagement. You are constantly fiending for people to perceive you online, whether that is through likes, views or hate posts. To many people with MCS any attention is good attention. Someone with MCS is also constantly posting online. Their surroundings become a content playground and they will do anything for a post or a branddeal, even if whatever they are promoting is complete sh*t.
Another side affect of MCS is not being able to discern between the real life and the online world. People's lives often time are consumed by the need of content that the whole world is just seen as a gateway to the digital world. Everything is an oppertunity to get people to #LIKE, #COMMENT, #SUBSCRIBE.
Lack of spacial awareness oftentimes is a side affect of MCS. This often times affects more than the person with MCS, it affects the surrounding people. This is can also be seen as a part of "Inconviencing Others Around You" as people with MCS don't care about soical and spacial contexts and will do anything for content. They will often times prop up their phone or start filming people without their consent, just to hopefully gain virality.
Another side affect of having MCS is often times inconveniencing others around you. This manifests a as either being a bothersome to people physically around you by making content in public.This can also be attacking those on the internet indirectly and creating drama for your own benefit.
In extreme cases, MCS can lead to right wing radicalism. As so called "alpha males" find access to podcast and bad takes, they realize they can garner attention from the internet in a negative way. This attention boost their ego as they think they are providing value to the world as people care about their "controversial" takes. If you know someone like this or you think you may be suffering from this side affect, remove or stay away from any microphone in a 100ft radius.