Essay On Social Media And Self Esteem

Social media has become an integral part of the everyday existence. Social media provides opportunities to users to build and maintain relationships with virtual friends over the internet. Social media allows active users to take advantage of various features such as creating and posting images, updating statuses, liking and commenting on posts, and uploading videos among others. There has been a use rapid growth in social media around the world due to its blending of social interaction and interaction for the co-creation of value. The widespread use of social media has prompted researchers to conduct studies to determine the relationship between social media usage and its relationship on users’ well-being, self-esteem, and self-image. Although others may claim otherwise, frequent use of social media does more harm than good to the self-esteem, self-image and …show more content…
These two factors are crucial predictors of well-being and self-esteem in adolescents. When using the social media, adolescents often tend to overestimate the degree to which other users are evaluating or watching, and consequently, can be very preoccupied with how they appear in the eyes of their peers (Valkenburg et al. 585). The kind of feedback they receive is important to the development of their self-esteem. When an individual is ignored in a social networking site, they feel less meaningful. According to Tobin et al., Social media communication affects feelings of social belonging consequently affecting one’s sense of belonging; self-worth and loneliness (40). Results further showed that passive and shunned users feel invisible as well as experience feelings of exclusion. Similarly, negative feedback or lack of likes and comments on posts and photos can reduce one’s self esteem. In addition, passive following can enhance feelings of envy and resentment limiting a person’s satisfaction in