The Relationship between Social Media and Self Esteem

Social media platforms such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook have undoubtedly become a large part of today's culture and an integral part of the daily life of many people. The information shared on social media platforms can have a significant influence on a person’s thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and overall mental health and wellbeing. That’s especially true when it comes to body image and self-esteem (Clark, 2021). 

Image-driven social media platforms like Instagram, Tik Tok, and Snapchat prompt followers to a virtually endless stream of photos, videos, and messaging demonstrating unrealistic ideals of beauty, body shape, and weight loss. Social media has been widely linked to some levels of loneliness, envy, anxiety, depression, stress, and hindered social skills. But what is it about sites like Facebook and Instagram, which were made for people to connect with others, that ironically makes us even more lonely and hinder our ability to truly connect with others?

Well, the effects of mental health have been linked to users focusing on the need to gain “likes” or followers as a means to increase their self-worth, making toxic comparisons with their online friends’ lives, and having too little face-to-face time to truly connect with others and the societal pressure of perfectionism (Lopez, 2020).

The Growing Gap Between Fiction and Reality

The Florida House Experience Health conducted a survey, revealing that 87% of women and 65% of men compare their bodies to images they consume on social and traditional media. In that comparison, almost 50% of women and 37% of men compare their bodies unfavorably (Clark, 2021). This unfavorable self-concept prompts users to edit their photos leading to a false sense of control where people feel as if they can alter their bodies to get more positive attention.

According to the Mental Health Foundation study in 2019, teenagers aged 13-19, showed that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 10 boys had edited their face or body in digital photos (Walker, 2019). The study also found that over a third of young adults ages 18-24 had recently felt shame over their body image, with 1 in 4 feeling overwhelmed by their negative feelings about their appearance (Kilpela, 2015). Another study in 2019, showed how social media encourages an increased desire for cosmetic surgery among women ages 18-29 (Walker, 2019). This suggest social media's impact on self-esteem not only causes people wanting to alter their appearance online, but in real life too.

What can we do about it?

There’s a whole world outside of media that people miss out on because of the addictive and enticing social media universe. While social media is a great way to connect with friends and family, share memes, and even grow businesses, it should be used in moderation like all good things. If used wisely, you can scroll through your newsfeed filled with your friends’ engagements and vacations with a smile on your face, feeling content with the direction your life is headed.

How to maintain a Positive Outlook

Start by being aware of the negative effects social media can impose on your body image and self-esteem. Rather than following influencers and celebrities with heavily edited photos and curated lifestyles, look for inspiring landscapes, delicious food, and cute dogs to fill your Instagram feed to help you remember that there’s more to life than what you look like.

• Unfollow accounts that don't make you feel good
• Take a break and disconnect from social media
• Keep up with accounts that promote healthy living with factual information
• Avoid speaking negatively about your body

How to Reduce Social Media Use

1. Set limits - Don’t keep your phone within reach of your bed, your phone shouldn't be the first thing you look at when you wake in the morning and shouldn't be the last thing you look at before bed.
2. Set etiquette boundaries – Resist the urge to use your phone or other device when you're taking to people face-to-face. Avoid using your phone during mealtime.
3. Delete apps off your smartphone – Having apps on your phone makes it easier to open them and lose hours scrolling through mindless posts. You can always check on your notifications on your desktop if needed!

Why it matters to me

The reason I chose this topic is because I struggled with my body image and self-esteem growing up during my adolescent years in high school. Like most teenagers, I craved validation and acceptance from my peers. I recall scrolling down my Instagram for hours, looking at gorgeous models posting flawless photos of themselves, with perfect hair, makeup, and body, living this this picture perfect life style. All while forgetting that it was simply a snippet of their lives I was watching, a highlight reel of their best moments. I wanted to live this life, that wasn’t even real. I remember spending hours taking and editing pictures to create this online persona to match what I saw. As a result, I was so attached to upholding this perfectly curated image of myself, I became unhappy with my reality.

Although it took a few years, I’m happy to say that I'm no longer that person I described. I'm truly at a place where I am content with the aspects and perfect imperfections that make me human. I also hope that whoever reads this can take a moment away from their social media and appreciate how beautiful life is outside of it. Remembering that you are uniquely beautiful with all your "flaws" and social media can't define that.

References

Clark, S. (2021). Can online image editing on social media contribute to eating disorders? Priory. https://www.priorygroup.com/blog/can-online-image-editing-on-social-media-contribute-to-eating-disorders

Kilpela, L. S., Becker, C. B., Wesley, N., & Stewart, T. (2015). Body Image in Adult Women: Moving Beyond the Younger Years. Advances in eating disorders (Abingdon, England ), 3(2), 144–164. https://doi.org/10.1080/21662630.2015.1012728

Lopez, W. (2020, November 22). Does Social Media Drive Eating Disorders? Therapy Group of NYC. https://nyctherapy.com/therapists-nyc-blog/does-social-media-drive-eating-disorders/

Walker, C. E., Krumhuber, E. G., Dayan, S., & Furnham, A. (2019). Effects of social media use on desire for cosmetic surgery among young women. Current Psychology, 40(7), 3355–3364. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00282-1