Self-Esteem an Social Media

999 Words2 Pages

Facebook Activity and Self-Esteem
Self-Esteem
Self-esteem serves as the foundation for many components of who we are and our views on life. High levels of self-esteem have been correlated with greater satisfaction in multiple important aspects of life, including professions, salaries, relationships, and physical health (Orth, 2012). While good self-esteem can be associated with many benefits, low self-esteem is accompanied by countless negative qualities. In a recent study, it was found that adolescents who experienced a decrease in self-esteem experienced more symptoms of depression both in adolescence, and in their thirties, supporting the notion that low self-esteem as well as decreases in self-esteem can be directly linked with depression (Steiger, 2014). Research also suggests that low self-esteem during adolescence, a vital time in development, can increase the likelihood of negative life outcomes in adulthood, such as conviction rates, lower socioeconomic status, as well as inferior health both mentally and physically (Trzesniewski, 2006). Negative, perceived sense of self and physical appearance is damaging to self-esteem and was found to cause increases in depressive symptoms (Steiger, 2014). Self-esteem is very complex and has a multitude of factors, which can affect it in both positive and negative ways, including social interaction. As new forms of communication like online social networking are becoming more and more popular in the social lives of the newer generation, it is important to understand the ways that these social interactions effect self-esteem.
Social Media
Social media sites have become increasingly popular recently and have developed into somewhat of a staple for social lives of the younger gene...

... middle of paper ...

... social media use. Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal, 41(3), 517-528. doi:10.2224/sbp.2013.41.3.517
Steiger, A. E., Allemand, M., Robins, R. W., & Fend, H. A. (2014). Low and decreasing self-esteem during adolescence predict adult depression two decades later. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 106(2), 325-338. doi:10.1037/a0035133
Trzesniewski, K. H., Donnellan, M., Moffitt, T. E., Robins, R. W., Poulton, R., & Caspi, A. (2006). Low self-esteem during adolescence predicts poor health, criminal behavior, and limited economic prospects during adulthood. Developmental Psychology, 42(2), 381-390. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.42.2.381
Wilson, K., Fornasier, S., & White, K. M. (2010). Psychological Predictors of Young Adults' Use of Social Networking Sites. Cyberpsychology, Behavior & Social Networking,13(2), 173-177. doi:10.1089/cyber.2009.0094

Open Document