Is Self Esteem Related to Social Media Usage?

Self esteem is a vital element to a teen’s well being, which can be greatly impacted by the amount of time one spends behind a screen. Social media has earned the attention of countless people for being the culprit of low self esteem among children. According to research done by specialized researchers and educators, social media does, indeed, play a major role in the lives of teenagers. Self esteem is highly related to external factors such as the number of likes or comments someone recieved on a post. 

Scientists have concluded, in the past, that self esteem is strongly tied to the average time spent on social media. Although not directly related, social media holds a dominant part of mental health in student’s lives. After the tedious struggle of comparing one’s own body to that of their classmates, social media presents an entire new world of body shaming and insecurities. Often times, physical insecurities are introduced into the minds of young teens through the internet and social media platforms such as Instagram or TikTok. 

It is commonly agreed upon that social media can influence growing teens to take part in online activism and become aware of international issues, however, many parents are concerned about how media usage affects their childrens’ mental health. There have been times where teenagers have developed body image issues which led them to eating disorders such as anaorexia and bulimia. Side effects like these make people reconsider if social media use is a good idea at all. 

Overall, professional researchers have determined that social media can be healthy if used in moderation. About 30 minutes of social media use per day has proven to be extremely beneficial for many teens around the world. After all, anything- in moderation- can be healthy!