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JaJuan Battle
Adam Padgett
ENGL 1102
3/31/14

Social Media and Self Esteem
Social Media without a doubt has changed the world that we live in. From the
way we meet new people to new shopping experiences, social media such as Facebook
and Twitter has taken over the world and control over our everyday lives. Social Media
is a fairly new concept that has only been introduced to the world in the early 2000s, but
it is amazing how we as a people behave as if we cannot live without it. We have all
gotten caught up in the superficial world of social media and allow it to affect our lives in
reality. A few clicks on a computer mouse or a couple taps on a smartphone can change
the way someone views something or someone else. Social Media holds so much weight
on people that it affects the users self esteem. In fact Social Media has a tremendous
effect on its users.
Whether good or bad, social media without a doubt has an effect on people. It is
perplexing how something that is not even tangible can actually affect someone in the
real world. Social media affects different people in different ways. For example, a
person who is not necessarily thriving on social media may still be very secure with
themselves. On the other hand, there are people who will never have enough
friends/followers and will always be encompassed with getting new ones. The
environment that social media users grow up in plays a huge role in their self-security.
People who constantly seek verification from their peers probably did not receive a lot
Adam Padgett 4/12/14 11:42 AM
Comment [1]: Is this true? Are you being a
little hyperbolic? I dont think I really use
facebook enough to consider it taking over
my life.
Adam Padgett 4/12/14 11:43 AM
Comment [2]: Why do you say superficial?
In what way do you mean this?
Adam Padgett 4/12/14 11:44 AM
Comment [3]: What kind of effect? Can
you be more specific/clear?
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attention growing up in the household.
Self-esteem is so important because it is directly linked to the well being of a
person, especially adolescents (Valkenburg). Self-esteem is how someone feels about
him/her self. Measuring self esteem can pose a challenge in the research world. When
measuring self-esteem in respect to social media researchers in a study in Europe
measured relationships formed, frequency of profile reactions, and the tone of these
profile reactions. These researchers have come to the conclusion that the actual tone of
the profile reactions affect the users self-esteem. This research information debunks the
common notion that people merely want to be seen by their peers, but that we want to be
seen in a positive light by our peers. The data recorded also shows the negative side to
social media, if a social media user feels like they are not seen in a positive light by their
peers then they are prone to have a lower self-esteem(Valkenburg).
Social medias power stems from the general public. The general publics
opinions and ideas fuel social medias overpowering engine. People have found a way to
mob together and voice popular opinions about everything and everybody. The general
public does not care about how their opinions affect other people, the general public
merely cares about being heard sometimes regardless of what is voiced. Social media
does not leave a lot of room for individuality for its users. People who set themselves
apart as individuals and stand by their own beliefs and opinions are more likely to be
shunned by the general public than if that person were to simply conform to society.
Social media preys on the human need to seek approval. We as a people have
developed the need to seek acceptance from other people. There also have been studies
done to support this claim, one study states that Researchers have confirmed that the
Adam Padgett 4/12/14 11:47 AM
Comment [4]: A lot of this seems
axiomatic. In other words, who would argue
against any of this? What new idea are you
bringing to the table?
Adam Padgett 4/12/14 11:49 AM
Comment [5]: How do you know this to be
true?
Adam Padgett 4/12/14 11:52 AM
Deleted: has
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desire to be 'Liked' on Facebook is a universal phenomenon (Bergland). The whole
structure around social media is to receive feedback. Hardly anyone would use social
media if it was incapable of allowing people to give and receive feedback. Feedback is
the difference between social media and an online private diary website. People,
generally, also want to be seen in a positive light (Valkenburg). Some people will do
almost anything to receive affection from other people on social media. This does not
apply to all people though, a persons upbringing and environment determines how
highly they regard other peoples opinion. Some people out here in the world are very
secure with themselves.
We as a humans also have the need to form relationships with other people.
Humans are a very dependent species. People invented language and the writing system
to fuel these drives. Social media has now fulfilled this need. People get on and use
social media to be a part of a social group. The idea of group self esteem has even been
established. Group self-esteem is the theory that people become a part of social media to
become connected with other social groups (Barker).
Social media can do a lot of negative things to its users. Users who do not fit in a
specific social group may develop a low self esteem. Cyberbullies troll the internet
looking for an easy target to pick on. Persons who does not receive a lot of positive
feedback on social media are targeted by these bullies.
Social Media can also do a lot of good to someones self-esteem. Studies have
shown that people who have a lot of friends/followers on social media tend to have a
higher self-esteem (Stefanone). Checking a social media account every now and again
can actually account for a healthy boost of self-esteem (Bergland). Users who thrive
Adam Padgett 4/12/14 11:53 AM
Comment [6]: Proof read closer
Adam Padgett 4/12/14 11:54 AM
Comment [7]: Im not sure what you mean
here.
Adam Padgett 4/12/14 11:54 AM
Comment [8]: This is an interesting idea.
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on social media tend to have more morals and be more virtuous users than people who do
not have a lot of friends/followers. Social media users who do not have very many
friends/followers tend to be more combative with people over new followers (Stefanone).
One has to be careful not to cross the line between narcissism and having a high self-
esteem. Social media can cause a number of its users to become big headed and
think that their individual opinions truly mean something to the outside world.
Take a step back from social media and look at where it comes from, the internet.
The internet is only a few years older than social media. When the internet was first
introduced to the general public, it was the general consensus that the internet had
negative psychological effects on its users(Shaw). Frequent users were claimed to suffer
from loneliness, depression, and negative self-esteem. A study done in the United States
in 2002 found in fact that this is not the case. The study showed that people who
moderately use the internet tend to have a more positive self esteem (Barker). This
study is monumental because it shed a bright positive light on the internet. It is studies
like these that have paved the way for social media to be prominent and thriving like it is
now(Shaw).
Looking at social media from a gender aspect can make one view self esteem a
little differently. Studies have been done to figure out the reasoning and purpose behind
social media. Research data has shown that males use social media mostly to find out
and gather information, while females are more prone to use it for relationship purposes
(Barker). A teenage social media user can see this everyday life. Most of the time,
females are posting things regarding relationships, and females tend to express their
emotions on social media. Females tend to have more posts than males. When guys get
Adam Padgett 4/12/14 11:55 AM
Comment [9]: Okay, but Im still looking
for the connection to your thesis. Why point
these things out? Otherwise, this seems slightly
off topic.
Adam Padgett 4/12/14 11:58 AM
Comment [10]: Okay, this is all very
interesting stuff, but I still want to connection
to a larger point that you are making. What are
you trying to say? Why are you trying to say
it? Why, according to the research, does more
time online equal more depression?
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on their social media accounts, most of the time they are just scrolling to read information.
Getting the jump on new music, checking sports game scores, and looking up information
on different people are a few of the things that men do on social media. This is not
surprising because men are the more logical sex while women are more emotional
(Barker).
Social media has a tremendous effect on the self esteem of its users. It is human
nature for people to seek gratification from other people. You cannot expect for someone
to feel good about themselves if they are never on the receiving end of a compliment in
life. It is amazing how social media is limited to the internet but still manages to affect
our everyday lives. Social media is a new outlet for people to express themselves, give
and receive feedback, and to form relationships with new people that used to be
unreachable. Since people have allowed for social media to be such a powerhouse in the
real world, it should be treated with care and respect. Since social media has the power
to boost self esteem, why not boost the self esteems of all of its users? A simple like
or retweet can really make someones day it seems like. Instead of bringing each other
down, people should lift each other up. These different mass mobs on social media
should stand for what is right instead of just the social norm. Self esteem is very
important to everyone and should not be taken as a joke.



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Works Cited
Bergland, Christopher. "Social Medias Dual-Edged Sword: Narcissism vs. Self-
Esteem."http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201306/social-media-s-
dual-edged-sword-narcissism-vs-self-esteem. Sussex Publishers, 12 Jun 2013. Web. 26
Feb 2014.
Dr. Patti M. Valkenburg, Jochen Peter, and Alexander P. Schouten.
CyberPsychology & Behavior. October 2006, 9(5): 584-590. doi:10.1089/cpb.2006.9.584.
Lindsay H. Shaw and Larry M. Gant. CyberPsychology & Behavior. April 2002,
5(2): 157-171. doi:10.1089/109493102753770552.
Michael A. Stefanone, Derek Lackaff, and Devan Rosen. Cyberpsychology,
Behavior, and Social Networking. January/February 2011, 14(1-2): 41-49.
doi:10.1089/cyber.2010.0049.
Valerie Barker. CyberPsychology & Behavior. April 2009, 12(2): 209-213.
doi:10.1089/cpb.2008.0228.




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JaJuan,
I think you have a really interesting conversation here. It seems as though youve
compiled some great research and youve done a good job articulating the views of your
respective sources while arguing for a common thesis. I do, though, get the impression
that this paper seems to be more of a compilation of this research as opposed to a
synthesis where you are an active participant. Instead, it seems to be that you are acting
as a passive reporter. I need to see more engagement. I would like to see where your
voice fits in this conversation. Try to achieve a greater and more specific sense of purpse.
Why are you writing this (other than because I am making you)?