The Effects of Social Media on Self-Esteem 

By Sophie Dombrowski

With social media use at an all time high, a range of effects is likely to be seen on an individual’s self-esteem. Self-esteem is defined as a person’s sense of their value and self worth, or the attitude towards one-self. Those with high self-esteem view themself positively and high in worth. On the contrary, those with low self-esteem view themselves negatively and less worthy. Self-esteem is determined by a number of different factors, such as genetics, age, and life experiences. Because of this, self-esteem is not fixed and changes throughout our life. Factors such as increased use of social media can be one cause of a change in self-esteem.  

When people engage in social comparisons, such as comparing their own life and appearance to those they see on social media, they are likely comparing in upward social comparisons, which make people feel bad about themselves and ungrateful about the life they have. This negative view of themself leads to negative effects on their self-esteem, self-respect, and self-confidence. As such, multiple studies have found a strong negative relationship between social media use and self esteem. This means that as one factor goes up, the other goes down – typically as social media use rises, an individual’s self-esteem falls. 

 For example, if a teenage girl spends her Saturday scrolling on social media, she may encounter a photo of her friends hanging out without her. After viewing this, she is likely to feel worse about herself, and spend time wondering what is wrong with her and why her friends do not like her. Some children spend less time comparing themselves to others and more time seeking validation through social media as a compensation method for their already low self-esteem. They might constantly post photos and videos of themselves, hoping for many likes and comments. When they do not get the validation they expected, they feel bad about themselves, leading to an even lower self-esteem – this can be a dangerous and self-destructive cycle.  

It is important to remember that while many populations can be affected by large amounts of social media use, children are especially vulnerable. It is recommended that parents set guidelines for the amount of time that their child(ren) spend on social media and monitor any behavior changes that might occur. Additionally, parents should ensure that their child(ren) are mature enough to use social media and aware of the possible effects it can have on them and their self-esteem.  

References 

Ackerman, C. E. (2018, May 23). What is self-esteem? A psychologist explains. PositivePsychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/self-esteem/  

American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Apa Dictionary of Psychology. American Psychological Association. https://dictionary.apa.org/self-esteem  

Jan, M., Soomro, S., & Ahmad, N. (2017). Impact of social media on self-esteem. European Scientific Journal, 13(23), 329-341.  

Soraci, P., Pisanti, R., Servidio, R., Holte, A. J., Ferrari, A., Demetrovics, Z., & Griffiths, M. D. (2024). The associations between the problematic social media and smartphone use, social phobia, and self-esteem: A structural equation modeling analysis. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. https://doi-org.libproxy.clemson.edu/10.1007/s11469-024-01375-0