Social Media and Self-esteem

Yaeram Lee

Leonia NJ, in a 2015 TedTalk, Robert Waldinger- director of study on adult development- stated that a good life is one of which individuals remain in a happy state. Today, there are many methods to achieve this state: money, health, fame, etc. Compared to the primordial ages, new technology in the 21st Century has greatly improved an individual’s chance of gaining one, if not all three, of these things. However, if we trace back in time, it is evidently shown that the human race had tendencies to group together (whether out of survival instincts or loneliness). The social characteristics of the human race remain true today- individuals are in a happy state when they are in “good” relationships. 

Social media has been an ongoing trend for the past decade on both young adults and the older generation. As such, media has been the prime mode of advertisements for companies hoping to aim for a diverse audience. One of the primary reasons why social media became such a popular trend is its tendency to allow its users to make quick connections with a wider group of individuals. As mentioned above, human beings are happy when they are in “good” relationships. Therefore, the next step would be to decide whether relationships forged through social media are “good” connections. Good relationships are designed to protect our bodies and brains. Under this definition, social media relationships cannot be considered a “good” one as it has the potential to lower one’s self-esteem, especially if the user is younger. 

Social media’s correlation with self-esteem has already been present in many studies. In fact, many people pinpoint self-esteem as one of the greatest negative output of social media. This is especially true for the younger generation. One of the prime qualities of current social media is that it allows its users to visually observe. For photo-based platforms like Instagram and Facebook, many young teens might compare their current situation to the almost-perfect posts and feel discouraged. But teenagers should also realize that the posts are a compilation of the individual’s best moments and are therefore incomparable to their current situations. This may take some time for pre-teenagers and young adults to realize- this idea grows as the individuals mature.  

This is not to say that social media should be banned from usage, but young adults should be properly educated and gain access to it at a certain age. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry states that teenagers’ actions are guided by “the emotional and reactive amygdala and less by the thoughtful, logical frontal cortex”. This is essentially what classifies a teenager from an adult. Because the teenagers are prone to emotional, spontaneous decision-making, they also make excellent victims to cyber-crime such as fraud. 

That being said, social media is a double-edged sword. When utilized properly, it can expand the user’s relationships and create a happy life. But when it is exposed at a young age, the non-developed cognitive sector of the brain may be overpowered by spontaneous emotional spurts that can harm the user’s body and mind. Therefore it is important for parents to realize the importance of education and proper age limit when it comes to social media.