May 6, 2021

The impact of Social media on self-esteem

Social media is a digital tool that allows people to share ideas, thoughts, and information through the internet. Sure, it may have a fair share of benefits, but many people believe that social media is the main reason for low self-esteem. Does it really affect internet users' morale?

For as long as it's been known, people always tended to replicate each other’s behavior. The so-called herd behavior makes individuals act collectively. Today, it has built a variety of generally accepted standards and norms for society.

Also, herd behavior can make people question themselves and their habits, due to the distinction between them and others. It is not a secret that many people had adopted a bad habit of constantly comparing themselves to other people.

Now, let's connect previous thoughts with our main topic: Social media is a perfect environment for said habit to strive in.

From everyday life to personal preferences and appearance, practically every aspect is greatly criticized by social media users. It is the main fuel for lowering self-esteem, especially among teenagers.

Scientific research showed that in pre-made Turkish, Polish, and Ukrainian samples, internet addiction was tightly linked to self-esteem between participants.

It means that despite cultural differences, low self-regard and internet addiction seem to affect one another.

Another research showed that Facebook users compare their lives to the career accomplishments and happy relationships of others. It is clear that such comparisons are often not in their favor.

Instagram could serve as a great example of social media's effect. Picture-perfect posts, which highlight only the finest aspects while leaving out the bigger, fuller picture.

Many people believe that the number of likes and subscribers defines them as a person. Social media is full of lies and self-deceit, which only spurs various insecurities. All of that may lead to anxiety, stress, body dysmorphia, eating disorders, self-neglect, problems with self-perception, etc.

In conclusion, the overuse of social media may lead to a lack of self-esteem for some people. Don't let filters and anonymous users fool you, if you know your self-worth, you will have no problem with the usage of social media.

References and further reading

1. «The role of self-esteem in Internet addiction: a comparison between Turkish, Polish and Ukrainian samples» (2016, Jun)
https://scielo.isciii.es/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0213-61632016000200006
2. «Как соцсети влияют на наше настроение, сон, психическое здоровье и отношения» (2018, 15 Янв)
https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/vert-fut-russian-42694015
3. «Self-Esteem» (n.d.)
https://cmhc.utexas.edu/selfesteem.html

Author: Kairat Azhar


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