Social Media Impacts Self-Esteem:To What Degree Are Adolescents at A Higher Risk for Social Media Induced Self-esteem Issues?

Abstract

This study breaks down scientific research about the rise of social media in the past two decades. Is social media going to have a noticeable effect on the self-esteem of adolescents all over the world in the future? The internet and social media, while being fairly new in the grand scheme of time, are known to possess addictive qualities that may have an effect on the way that adolescents mature. Due to the increasing inescapability of the Internet, it seems imperative that we acknowledge not only the potential detrimental effects of social media on the self-esteem of the developing brain of an adolescent but also the positive effects it can have in certain researched situations. This compilation of research is not designed to have any sort of bias toward social media or the internet, it is simply an analyzation of data previously compiled by previous researchers in order to better understand social operatives in adolescence and technology. Social media has become an effective way to interact and chat more easily with peers and develop a basis for trust with one another before meeting face-to-face. Social media inadvertently creates a filtering system for meeting people in which one can see an online profile and identity that may help better determine how somebody operates socially. It is still not a guarantee of knowing truly who is behind the facade of a keyboard and monitor, but it is a step. As a society, we have become more technologically advanced. So much so, it is rare to see someone without a smartphone in their possession. The majority of users are unaware of the effects that constant access to these devices can have psychologically. The smartphone, laptops, and computers have become an extension of most people. Many people will use it as a means of escape from reality. The purpose of this study is to investigate: To What Degree Are Adolescents at a Higher Risk for Social Media Induced Self-esteem Issues?

Keywords: Social Media, Self-esteem, Internet Addiction, Social Comparison Theory, Developmental Psychology