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Running Head: SOCIAL MEDIAS EFFECT ON SELF-ESTEEM

Instagram’s Effect on Self Esteem: Discovering the Influence Social Media Has on The

Younger Generations Self-Esteem and Body Image

Chelsea Skipper
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Running Head: SOCIAL MEDIAS EFFECT ON SELF-ESTEEM

Abstract

Self-esteem plays a major in people's lives and can be affected by many things, social media

being one of them. The heavy emphasis on social media among young adults is part of the reason

behind lowered levels of self-esteem and negative body image. Through Social Comparison

Theory the idea of comparing yourself to others coincides with the negative relationship between

social media and self-esteem. With continued advancements in technology, the use of social

media will steadily increase. The need to emphasize positive body image is crucial for the mental

health of social media users especially young adults.

Keywords: Social media, Self-Esteem, Young Adults, Social Comparison Theory, Body

Image
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Instagram’s Effect on Self Esteem: Discovering the Influence Social Media Has On The

Younger Generations Self-Esteem And Body Image

Fifty-nine percent of social media users are under the age of 30 (Shtepura, 2018). This

staggering statistic goes hand in hand with the rapid increase of technology use among younger

generations. Social media has revolutionized the way people interact today and has caused a

change in people’s social skills (Tiggemann & Barbato, 2018). Today's technology allows you to

access almost anything at the click of a button; this is both a blessing and a curse. Social media

users consist primarily of the younger generation which includes a lot of impressionable minds.

For adolescents in today's world, technology can be almost unavoidable, so social media tends to

play a significant role in one's self-perception. In today's society, people are more connected than

ever before, and there's an extreme emphasis on posting any and everything you're doing at all

hours of the day (Pounders, Kowalcsyk, & Stowers, 2016). For many body image and self-

esteem are huge issues, that they must combat with every day. The heavy emphasis on social

media and the feedback that comes with it can add even more pressure onto ones already hectic

life.

The main focus of this study is to answer the question: does social media affect one's self-

esteem? Through extensive research, it seems that many have found a lot of information

regarding this topic. Since social media is a significant presence for millennials, it can often lead

to many self-esteem and mental illness problems. This research question is directly focused on

the relationship between social media use and its effects on one's self-esteem and perceived body

image.

Today, specifically young women are more focused on body image more than ever

before. The need for approval and wanting to fit in is the driving force behind a majority of
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social media posts (Cotto, 2018). The growing levels of anxiety that this has caused has led to the

immerging levels of mental illness and lowered self-esteem in our nation (Ahadzadeh, Pahlevan,

& Ong, 2017). There is a growing need for resources to be set in place for people to be able to

talk about their feelings and get the help they need. Many individuals can't deal with stress

induced by social media, and this contributes to the rising number of attempted suicides among

the younger generations of today’s society (Ahadzadeh et al., 2017). The feeling of not being

good enough has always been around, but today social media has added to that even more.

Cyberbullying has become a pressing issue and has directly arisen from the overuse of social

media (Wright, 2018). Cyberbullying can cause people to be self-conscious and think that they

aren't good enough.

Social media is a part of today’s society and is almost unavoidable, but should your posts

be causing people to feel less about themselves? Confidence is quickly gained and lost on social

media, one person's comment can make or break someone's self-image. Social media is

powerful, and people should be aware the power their words can have. Along with the lies that

are on Instagram, not everything you see on the internet is accurate. People tend to forget that in

today's world, anyone can write anything from anywhere just as long as there's free wifi. Since

today so many people fail to see the impact social media has on self-esteem, people must begin

to treat this problem as the growing issue it is becoming. The need to fit in and be like everyone

else is not a new phenomenon, but in today's world keeping up with the latest trends can be

tough. The driving force of wanting to fit in is the basis behind why people are so focused on

what's happening on social media. The idea of missing out on something or not knowing what's

happening is why people are always plugged in (Shtepura, 2018). Social Comparison Theory
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highlights the ideas behind why people care so much about gaining the approval of others and

the importance of fitting in with societal norms (Van Rooy, Wood, & Tran, 2016).

Social Comparison Theory

Social Comparison Theory (SCT) proposed by Leon Festinger focuses on the idea that

individuals evaluate their values and personal abilities by comparing themselves to others

(Festinger, 1954). Evaluation is done to reduce uncertainty and allow an individual to define

themselves (Festinger, 1954). People often look to others for approval or to make sure they are

following social norms. In today's society, this theory is more prevalent than ever with the

increased usage of social media. Festinger began his research by looking into norm formation,

and he compared it to sizing up your competition (Van Rooy et al., 2016). SCT emphasizes a

society’s need to assimilate and that the more similar we are to others, our level of uncertainty

decreases (Van Rooy et al., 2016). As SCT has progressed many have added to Festinger's

beginning frameworks, the ideas of upward and downward comparisons are vital parts of this

theory. Upwards comparisons are usually made by individuals trying to self-improve and strive

up (Wolff, Helm, & Moller, 2018). These comparisons generally include individual's finding any

similarity to compare themselves to group that is better off. Comparisons like these will allow

that individual to feel better about themselves (Wolff et al., 2018). To the opposite effect, there

are downward comparisons which individuals often use to make themselves think that they are

better off than others (Fridman & Kaminka, 2010). These comparisons consist of individual's

comparing themselves to a group worse off than them so that they can validate their successes

(Wolff et al., 2018). Both of these comparisons are done naturally by most of society but may go

unnoticed. People often tend to validate their actions by making either these upward or

downward comparisons to give their conscious a relieve. In today’s highly technological world,
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these comparisons are prevalent among social media users, who are continually comparing

themselves to others. The idea that finding similarities with someone better off than you will give

you a higher status, directly relates to SCT. Whether it be positive or negative comparisons, SCT

is part of the reason why social media is so prevalent in society today. Thus, it is asked:

RQ: How is social media affecting self-esteem, and is it increasing the prevalence of

mental health problems?

SCT Tied to Social Medias Effect on Self Esteem

The majority of social media users range from ages 18-29 (James & Harville, 2018). For

many those are some of the most impressionable years of your life, so something detrimental

happening during this period can weigh heavily on your future mindset. At a younger age you are

still figuring out who you are, and social media has the potential to ruin the confidence

development among young adults (Mangnusson & Nermo, 2018). Self-esteem is essential, and

studies show that higher levels of self-esteem positively relate to occupational prestige in the

future (Mangusson et al., 2018). SCT focuses on the idea of comparing yourself to others, and

social media presents unrealistic comparison targets that can add increasing pressures (Krayer,

Ingledew & Iphofen, 2008).

The constant desire to keep up with famous people on social media can leave many with

unrealistic expectations of how they should appear. If someone with low self-esteem or low

confidence is consistently seeing these "perfect" looking people, it could cause even more self-

doubt to ensue (Chandawarkar, Gould, Stevens, & Grant Stevens, 2018). Celebrities are

continually oversharing and making sure they are keeping their fans in the loop, which is the

reason behind many of today’s trends. Many people tend to forget that these celebrities have

access to things that the average person doesn’t. So, everything we see on social media may look
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great, but we fail to see what's happening behind those posts – even celebrities use a filter. The

desire for perfection is everywhere, the reason behind most social media posts is validation form

your followers (Soheila, Hoshang, & Almadani, 2017). Social media is all about showing off

what you have and causing others to want what they don't. The idea of the grass is always

greener is part of why social media is so popular.

On social media many individuals find themselves shamed for their appearance, this can

then lead to a series of problems to arise in their futures (Peterson, 2017). Peterson (2017) states

that due to the emphasized ideals toward body image, schools should begin addressing coping

mechanisms for teens to help build resilience. Encouraging positive body image would allow

students to be made aware of the problem of body shaming along with learning ways to deal with

it. Today’s generation is completely consumed by technology and tends to act more impulsive

when it comes to things they post or say via the internet. Cyberbullying can lead to a variety of

lasting effects such as PTSD, depression, and these things can lower your self-esteem and change

you as a person (McHugh, Wisniewski, & Rosson, 2018). Many seem to think they can say

whatever they want while hiding behind their screen, failing to see the impact it has on someone

else. Today, there is more emphasis on ending cyberbullying, but it is a tough thing to get under

control and adequately handle. Downward comparisons or comparing yourself to people worse

off than you is something very prevalent among social media users (Cramer, Song, & Drent,

2016). These comparisons are often made to help maintain your dignity and self-perception, in

an attempt to keep one’s self-esteem intact (Cramer et al., 2016). Females tend to face more

issues with body image and lower self-esteem when it comes to social media (Rodgers,

Damiano, Wertheim, & Paxton, 2017).

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H: Social media users are at a higher risk of suffering from a mental health problem than

non-social media users.

Role of Gender

Males and females are both active users of social media, but young women tend to be

more susceptible to problems with self- esteem compared to young male users (Feltman &

Szymanski, 2018). For a young woman active on social media the prevalence of body shaming

can be almost unavoidable. Not only are there average everyday people on social media, but

there are also celebrities, models, TV personalities, and professional athletes. Regularly seeing

famous, rich people with perfect bodies can lead to eating disorders along with lowered self-

worth (Soheila et al., 2017). Since both males and females are subject to seeing all these

celebrities on their feeds, it can lead to strong misconceptions. These misconceptions include

believing that this how everyone should look and judging those who don’t fit their idea of perfect

(Soheila et al., 2017). Many social media users have shared the fear that goes along with posting

a photo, because you never know what kind of feedback you will get (Stapleton, 2017). This fear

is part of the reason why eating disorders are at the highest levels in our nation, according to

mirror-mirror.org, 2018, 30% of females suffer from some eating disorder. This staggering

statistic reiterates the importance of body image in people's lives. If social media users are

regularly seeing people with bodies better than theirs and getting shamed for how they look, this

can result in lowered self-esteem (Soheila et al., 2017). This can also cause some to believe they

have to change and be someone else, to gain approval from others (Santarossa & Woodruff,

2017). Changing yourself to fit in relates to the frameworks of SCT and people’s desire to

assimilate (Cramer et al., 2016). People tend to fear being different and the criticism that usually

comes along with it. This fear contributes to people’s blind lust for making downward
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comparison in order to feel better about themselves, creating an outgroup (Branscombe & Wann,

1994). Or in other words, a group that they are better off than, everyone is continually striving to

one-up one another especially on social media.

Negative Effect of Media Influencers

Social media has become more than just place to share photos with your friends, it has

now become the most used platform by opinion leaders in the fashion industry, and this trend is

expected to continue in the future (Casaló, Flavián, & Ibáñez-Sánchez, 2018). This highlights the

emphasis social media has on trendsetting and establishing the norms people think they should

be following. This sort of power has been handed to a group on social media referred to as,

media influencers. Their job tends to consist of receiving free products in exchange for

promoting them on their page to their mass following (Shen, Kuo, & Ly, 2017).

To most, this would appear like a dream job, but there are some necessary credentials

needed even to be considered. Most social media influencers are usually famous, very attractive,

or have a large following of ten thousand or more ("Bloomberg”, 2016). Since these influencers

are usually admired by their followers, many believe everything they say and do and can be

misled by their promotions (“Bloomberg”, 2016). Often these influencers support products they

don’t even use, but companies know their testimonies will increase their sales, the more that

influencer sells the more compensation they then receive (De Veirman, Cauberghe, & Hudders,

2017). For an average follower, it may seem that if they buy or wear the product, an influencer is

promoting they could be more like them. This is another way of making an upward comparison,

purchasing something that will give you a sense of higher status (Park & Baek, 2017). This all

relates back to the effect social media has on self-esteem, and society’s emphasis on fitting in.

Status is part of the reason why social media influencers have become so prevalent, people today
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are so focused on striving to be of a higher rank than others. A social media influencer may not

think they are doing any harm, but they are causing more out-groups to form than ever before

(Buck, 2018). For those who can’t afford to buy their promoted products, it can create feelings of

inadequacy or loneliness, which are both detrimental to one's self-esteem (Buck, 2018).

Another major issue with these influencers is the truth behind their appearance. These

influencers may look perfect, but many have undergone drastic procedures to alter their

appearance (Chandawarkar et al., 2018). This shows that today people are quite focused on

looking better than others even if it’s through painful grueling surgeries. Unfortunately, today's

youth doesn't realize that some of their idols appearances are not of natural causes but the result

of expensive operations. Since many adolescents do not recognize this factor, it causes the

feeling of inadequacy to form and self-esteem to lower (Guinta, 2018).

As social media continues to be a presence in today’s world, the self-esteem issues in

adolescences will not go away. With the combined lavish posting of celebrities and other social

media influencers, society will continue to idolize their materialistic posts. As social media

continues to progress and becomes a growing presence in everyday life, people will continue to

make upward and downward comparisons and want things they don't have. Validation is a

driving force in life and is part of the reason behind lowered self-esteem levels among social

media users especially young adults.

Method

Research can be collected qualitatively in a variety of ways, for this study focus groups

will be used. Focus groups allow for a first-hand look at how people respond to the

predetermined questions and will allow for free-flowing rapport among participants. Smaller

groups will be used to allow for more in-depth communication. A facilitator will be present
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asking the questions. The facilitator will follow the script and make sure to guide each group in

the right direction. Each group will answer between 8-10 questions depending on what time

allows for in each session. Some questions will have additional probing questions and can be

utilized at the discretion of the facilitator. A video recording will be taking place to use as a

reference for further evaluation.

Participants

For proper results, the groups will consist of young adults ranging from ages 18 to 22.

Our sample will be non-random since there will be requirements to participate. All participants

must be active on social media or a member of at least one social media networking site. Both

males and females will be evaluated to seek more well-rounded results. All participants will be

acquired through a voluntary sign up on SONA Research Systems. This a research management

site that allows researchers around the world to set up studies and recruit participants (Sona

Systems, 2018). SONA will allow for the prescreening of participants and the ability to restrict

settings to ensure participant eligibility, also giving the participants a description of what the

study will entail. The estimation is to have a minimum of 5 focus group containing between 8-12

participants in each. Using young adults ages 18-22 including both males and females will allow

for a broader range in possible feedback.

Procedure

To begin the focus group, the participants will sign up through SONA research systems

and will be asked to sign a consent form. This consent form will notify the participant that they

will be video recorded and that their responses will be utilized for further research. Once the

participants arrive, they will be greeted by the facilitator and asked to take a seat. On a separate

table, there will be pizza and soda laid out for them to enjoy. After all the participants have
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arrived, the facilitator will begin by introducing herself and the topic of discussion: social media

and its effect on self-esteem. After this, the facilitator will start reading through the script and ask

the first question. Once a question is asked the facilitator will allow for responses and rapport

amongst participants. When a question is sufficiently answered, the facilitator will move on and

continue through all the questions, allowing time for response between each. Some question will

have added probe questions that can be asked at the facilitator’s discretion. After the facilitator

has gone through all the questions, they will thank the participants, and also make the

participants aware that if they need any additional help, that they’re are resources available to aid

to this issue.

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Santarossa, S., & Woodruff, S.J. (2017). SocialMedia: Exploring the Relationship of

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Appendix

-Focus group with participants ages 18-22, both male and female.

-The format of the session: Participants will sign up voluntarily to talk about the effects social

media has on self-esteem. Feedback will be gathered to research the harmful effects social media

has on young adults' self-esteem.

-Facilitator will begin the conversation with a basic introduction: "Hello everyone, thank you all

for coming. Today we will be discussing the effects of social media on self-esteem." Then the

facilitator will lead into the first question:

1. How much time out of your day do you spend on social media?

2. What is the role of social media in your lives?

Probes:

- Do you think you could live without social media?

- Is social media a positive or negative element in your life?

(Depending on length of responses, the facilitator can use one or both of these probing questions)

3. What kind of things do you post?

4. What sorts of things do you see on social media the most?

5. How do social media influencers make you feel?

Probes:

- Have you ever felt pressured to look more like one of these influencers?

- What kind of influencers do you guy follow on social media?

(Depending on length of responses, the facilitator can use one or both of these probing questions)

6. How does negative feedback on your posts or other people’s posts make you feel?

7. What would you like to change about the things that you see on social media?
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8. Do you ever feel pressured to post certain things? Why?

Probes:

- What kinds of things do you think are acceptable to post?

- Are there certain things you think shouldn’t be posted on social media, if so what?

(Depending on length of responses, the facilitator can use one or both of these probing questions)

9. What do you do if you see someone being bullied on social media?

10. Have you/do you know anyone who has been bullied via social media?

Probes:

- If so, do you know who you can talk to regarding these issues?

- What have you done in response to the bullying?

(Depending on length of responses, the facilitator can use one or both of these probing questions.

Also, since this is a sensitive question be aware of emotional shifts in participants.)

-Conclude focus group with: “Thank you all so much for coming and sharing your feelings,

thoughts, and opinions with us. Some of the things we discussed were emotional, but these are

necessary parts of research that can contribute to a change. If you want to talk more about this

issue, facilitators will be available to speak with upon your exit.”