TO: Parents who have teenagers, Educators, and school counselors

FROM: Dayan Pueblas Martinez

DATE: November 20, 2024

SUBJECT: Research how social media impacts teen’s self-esteem

Introduction

Since introducing social media in 1997, it has become a part of everyday life, especially
teenagers' lives. According to the study “The Impact of Social Media Use on Appearance Self-
esteem from Childhood to Adolescence,” 94% of teens in progressive countries consume social
media platforms. It indicates that self-perceived physical appearance is the most important
contributor to the majority of teenagers' self-esteem, mostly in girls. On social media platforms
such as Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, etc appearance is often idealized, or enhanced to make the
user look more attractive. It can create unrealistic norms on teenagers' appearances, “creating a
gap between the perceived and ideal physical self.” (Steinsbekk et al., 2021). This gap causes
negative emotions and lowers self-esteem. Continued negative emotions and low self-esteem can
affect mental health as well. Identifying how teens are specifically using social media can help
determine how all usages of social media impact teens’ self-esteem and give parents, educators,
and school counselors how to assist teens.

Research Questions

● How does the use of social media impact teens’ self-esteem?

● How can different types of usage of social media be negative or positive?
● Which type of social media usage is the most helpful for teens?
● Are the impacts different based on gender, age, or a specific social media platform?

Preliminary Research

Based on research, it is agreed that social media does have an impact on teens’ self-esteem.
There are different types of things teens do on social media such as posting, commenting,
viewing others' posts, creating friendships, etc. Each of these uses impact self-esteem because of
what is being said and viewed. Passive use, which is “simply monitoring others' posts”
(Steinsbekk et al., 2021), is associated with depression and poor well-being. Teens who actively
use social media (posting and interacting) are associated with better well-being and less elevated
depression levels. Since many behaviors can fall under active use (posting content, sharing
content, liking, and commenting), the distinction is refined as “self-oriented” (original posts,
updates, photos) and “other-oriented” (liking or commenting on others posts and pictures) use.
(Steinsbekk et al., 2021).
In another study, “Teens’ Perception about Social Networking Sites: Does Facebook Influence
Teens’ Self-Esteem?”, it is said that positive feedback about the teens’ profiles bettered their self-
esteem and well-being. It seems that self-oriented use boosts self-esteem as online presentations
are teens' best versions of themselves. But teenage boys were most likely to report negative self-
esteem while girls reported higher self-esteem. Girls tend to have a broader use of social media
to communicate with their friends. The author states that negative self-esteem is connected to
social compensation, which means that if communicating with their peers isn’t the main use then
it results in negative impacts. I believe this is similar to what the first study was saying. It forms
the idea that when social media is used for self-related activities and personal relationships, it has
a positive impact on a teen’s self-esteem.

Proposed Tasks and Primary Research

I propose to do a survey and interviews. The survey will target ages 13-19 to see the patterns of
their social media usage, which includes time spent on platforms, specific activities, and their
self-reported self-esteem. The interviews will be conducted in-depth with a selected group of
teenagers. This would be to gain insight into personal experiences. It will explore how a variety
of interactions, positive and negative on social media impact self-esteem and general well-being.

Questions for the survey will include:

● What is their age?

● What is their gender?
● Which platforms do they use the most and how many hours do they spend on social
media?
● What activities do they do on social media?
● Do they often compare themselves to the people they see on social media and how they
feel after they use social media?
● Do they feel like interacting with their friends on social media has a positive or negative
impact on their self-esteem?
● Asking about their positive and negative experiences on social media

Expected Results from Research

What I expect is to find the different patterns of teens’ usage of social media and how it
correlates with their self-esteem levels. Teens who passively consume social media will likely
report lower self-esteem due to a lack of connection and praise. Teens who actively use it will
probably report higher levels of self-esteem perhaps because of praise and interactions. For
negative and positive experiences, I expect that specific positive experiences and negative
experiences play a big part in teens’ self-esteem. It will help identify beneficial or harmful
interactions. An expected major negative impact would be social comparison. Teens who
compare themselves to those they see on social media will report low levels of self-esteem and
elevated levels of anxiety and depression. I expect this to show the importance of the tone of
interactions.

Qualifications

I am qualified to speak on this subject because I have been using social media since I was
thirteen and I am considered a teen as I am nineteen. I have experienced positive and negative
experiences, and I can see how they have impacted my self-esteem. For my qualifications to
research this subject, I do have the ability to analyze the data. I don’t have many qualifications,
but I believe that having broad experiences and knowledge is helpful to this subject because
there are multiple ways to use social media.

Conclusion

Social media can be used in various ways, and most parents have a negative view on it, which
they have the right to. However, it’s also important to know its positive impacts and what those
experiences mean to teens. Identifying social media usage can help parents know what
specifically is impacting their teen's self-esteem.

Sources

Steinsbekk Silje, Wichstrøm Lars,Stenseng Frode, Nesi Jacqueline, Wold Hygen Beate, Skalická
Věra. “The impact of social media use on appearance self-esteem from childhood to adolescence
– A 3-wave community study.” Computers in Human Behavior volume 114. January 2021, The
impact of social media use on appearance self-esteem from childhood to adolescence – A 3-wave
community study - ScienceDirect

Botou, A., Marsellos, P. “Teens’ Perception about Social Networking Sites: Does Facebook
Influence Teens’ Self-Esteem?” Psychology volume 9. June 2018, Teens’ Perception about
Social Networking Sites: Does Facebook Influence Teens’ Self-Esteem?

Ehmke, Rachel. “How Using Social Media Affects Teenagers.” Child Mind Insitute. October
2024, Social Media Effects on Teens | Impact of Social Media on Self-Esteem