The Effects of Social Media on Self-Esteem and How to Combat Them
Three out of four Americans use social media. Ask them about it, and they probably talk about staying in touch with friends and family, the ability to share photos and stories, and keeping up with current events. Then, of course, social media has also become a space where we can seek positive feedback for content about our lives.
Ask those same three out of four Americans if social media evokes negative or positive feelings about themselves. If they are being honest, they will own up to feeling mental distress as their social media usage increases. In particular, it is associated with a decrease in self-esteem. The studies bear this out, so now what?
What Is Low Self-Esteem?
Your self-esteem is essentially your opinion of yourself. For a wide range of reasons, this perception can be negative and thus deemed to be low self-esteem. Everyone has moments like this, but we are talking about a chronic mindset. Someone with low self-esteem may regularly feel inadequate, dissatisfied with their life (especially when compared to others), hear a harsh inner critic, and assume others are judging them.
Can you think of a venue in which these tendencies might fester?
The Effects of Social Media on Self-Esteem
Let us begin by clarifying that this is not an automatic cause-and-effect equation. Not everyone has negative social media experiences. Also, it is often more about how you use it as opposed to whether you use it.
That said, social media can absolutely decrease one’s self-esteem via avenues like seeking positive feedback from external sources. Almost everyone reading this right now can likely relate to that feeling of waiting for reactions after making a post. Surrendering one’s joy to the whims of algorithms is not healthy for your self-esteem.
Over time, this seemingly simple act of asking the void for validation can bring on strong feelings of inadequacy. The allure of scrolling keeps you coming back time and again, though in the belief that if you did “better,” you would find viral success.
3 Online Catalysts For Low Self-Esteem
Measuring Oneself Against Others: Those carefully curated profiles you admire can do a number on your self-confidence. Anyone can look like a “winner” if they only post highlight reels.
FOMO: Not that long ago, people created full lives within their geographical location. Today, factoring in #1 above, we believe all the fun is happening elsewhere. The moment we log off, therefore, we run the inexcusable risk of being out of touch. People struggling with the fear of missing out (FOMO) are more susceptible to depression, along with an addictive pattern of never taking their eyes off their news feed.
Real vs. Fake: The longer you scroll, the harder it gets to discern reality from fantasy. Thanks to myriad digital tools, almost anyone can present the illusion of what societal standards call “success.” Before you know it, what you thought was self-improvement becomes self-criticism, and for all you know, the content makers are bots.
You Can Combat the Effects of Social Media on Self-Esteem
There are proven steps and tools for weaning yourself off chronic social media usage. From setting limits to using restrictive apps to prevent access, you can make active and powerful moves in the name of self-love. If the pull of the "like" dopamine hit is too strong, you would do well to ask for help.
Like anything else in your life that makes you feel bad, you can learn how to confront the challenge under the guidance of a skilled professional. Social media is a complex aspect of everyone’s life, but you can find productive ways to navigate it with your self-esteem intact.
Get in touch with me for a consultation and learn how to escape social media's negative influence.
