Social Media And Self-Esteem

Let me guess you probably checked Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat in the last five minutes. Nowadays it seems like all we do is go on social media, considering that it has been on the rise for the last decade. On average a teenager is an electronic device for more than three hours a day. (Curtis, Sweeny). What we do on a day to day basis is determined by how much time we spend on those sites. Since we spend so much time on social media, can it have a negative effect on teenagers? Is social media dangerous or are there benefits to it? Just how social media is on the rise so are these questions, which have researchers wondering on the effects of social media as teens continue to let it control the way they spending their time. (Goff).

Initially, social media is commonly used as a weapon to attack others on their opinions or simply because they despite other people. For instance, cyber bullying has caused huge problems ever since social networks have started becoming popular. “Nearly 43% of kids have been bullied online. 1 in 4 has had it happen more than once,” (“11 Facts about Cyber Bullying” www.dosomething.org). This is more targeted at teenagers and children because they are unaware of the harmful things they might say over the internet. To illustrate, cyber bullying can become a very serious issue when a minor commits suicide. “Bully-related suicide can be connected to any type of bullying, including . . . cyberbullying, and sexting, or circulating suggestive . . . about a person” (“Cyber Bullying & Social Bullying” http://www.bullyingstatistics.org). It’s the parent’s duty to filter the internet. Based on this information, social media is not necessarily safe, anyone can become a victim

Over 94% of American teenagers claim to access social media daily, today teenagers and social media tend to be the butt in everybody’s joke, but what are the effects of social media? Bethany Mota is a 21-year-old women who has been able to start her own fashion line at the age of 17 because of social media. Amanda Todd was just 16 when she decided to end her life, due to the fact that she was persecuted relentlessly on social media sites. Many young people get bullied or harassed through social media daily, while others are given amazing opportunities to express themselves and connect with others with the same passions as them. So, what is the impact of teenage participation in social media?

Teenage girls as they are developing, just building their confidence. If users are young they are only being shown that thin and makeup makes you beautiful. Believing that if they don’t look like women on social media then they are “ugly”. On average teenage girls, use social media more than teenage boys. Wanting to show off their lives and comparing themselves to other users. Social media has been a factor that influences teenagers in their everyday life. In the article, Does Social Media Impact on Body Image? According to Roxby, “Magazines and television are often blamed for portraying an ideal body image that causes people to question their looks and lose confidence in themselves”. Teenage girls can be more easily convinced that they are different and not beautiful. Those users put forward your best self, and that can be a bit dangerous, because they naturally compare themselves to others. Social media has a huge effect on young people’s body confidence. At times, these young people want to look so much like the girls on social media that they go as far

Social media is a visible platform that displays the “ideal image” of beauty. These “ideal images” of beauty have been obtained by means of manipulation, photo shopping, plastic surgery, or extreme measures of dieting. The negative impact of social media is at the root of a number of issues that surround teens and women. One of the biggest issues teens and women are dealing with is the constant pressure of comparing themselves to these “ideal images” on social media. Although women are subjected to the negative side effects of social media my research is mainly geared towards teen age girls.

(Weiner 2) Claire Mysko an award winning author and expert on body image, leadership and media literacy explains: “While social media is not the cause of low self-esteem, it has all the right elements to contribute to it. Social media creates an environment where disordered thoughts and behaviors really thrive”. (Weiner 2) For most young women with constant use and easy accessibility social media can become an addiction and the ability to become outlet that can either build up / destroy women’s self-esteem. A recent survey of more than 1000 girls in the United States ages 8-17 sponsored by the dove self- esteem fund, showed that 7 in 10 girls surveyed believed that when it came to issues including beauty and body image they did not “measure up.” Only 10 percent found themselves to be “pretty enough.”(Sweeney 3) Among women over 18 looking at themselves in the mirror, research indicates the at least 80% are unhappy with that they see. (Fox 5) We are society literally obsessed with being beautiful. Unfortunately female dissatisfaction with appearance or a poor body image being at an early. The latest survey show that young girls are going on diets because they think they are fat and unattractive. (Fox 5) In one American survey 81 % of ten year old girls had already dieted at least once. (Fox 5) By 13 at least 50% of girls are

Social media can negatively impact some adolescent girls and young women's body image. This is because media shows unrealistic beauty standards through the use of photoshop and using underweight models. Social media can be negative in a multitude of ways, however, I think that the way people are portrayed online can cause young girls’ distress and feel like they are not good enough. Social media can have a negative impact on women's self-esteem and self-worth along with their body image and satisfaction with their body. I believe that social media can have a negative impact on young girls self-esteem and body image.

Social media plays an immense role in the way that stereotypes about attractiveness is conveyed in regards to body image. As Gerbner and Gross wrote in 1976, the cultivation theory states that high frequency viewers of television are more susceptible to media messages and the belief that they are real and valid. The subjection to social media can cause an idealistic view amongst young girls and women alike. Among the mechanisms of human agency none is more central or pervasive than beliefs of personal efficacy (Bandura, 1997). This belief that these body types are achievable can lead to females being dissatisfied within their own skin. The result of the discontent can potentially lead to eating disorders. Body dissatisfaction occurs when views of the body are negative and involves a perceived discrepancy between a person 's assessment of their actual and ideal body (Cash and Szymanski, 1995 and Grogan, 2008). It is estimated that approximately 50% of adolescent girls report being unhappy with their bodies (Bearman, Presnell, & Martinez, 2006). Surveys have revealed that the exposure to social media can cause body dissatisfaction, eating disorder symptoms’ and the concept that thin is “beautiful” amongst young girls and women (Botta 1999; Harrison and Hefner 2006; and Stice et al. 1994). With media influence, the question is the strength of the effect, studies indicate the effects are small in scale; they are likely to operate in accordance with particular differences in

Not just women are changing their physical appearances to try and resemble celebrities; men are too. Jordan James Parke claims to have spent over $150,000 trying to achieve Kim Kardashian's look as well. Parke has obtained Botox injections, laser hair removal, eyebrow tattoos and lip-plumping surgeries to try and mimic the Kardashians appearance. Parke has faced criticism and backlash for the cosmetic changes, but he is pleased with the way that he looks and wants to continue to attain more plastic surgery in the future.

Hi Vy, looking at the article “Influence of Social Media on Alcohol Use in Adolescents and Young Adults” by Megan A. Moreno, I thought the article was strong in showing how social media can have a negative influence on young adults. I really agree with the authors that alcohol advertisements on social media could be “of particular concern because it can easily reach adolescents and young adults under the legal drinking age”. I think that this quote is a great choice in showing the negative impacts of social media on young adults. I liked how you paraphrased it as “In Influence of Social Media on Alcohol Use in Adolescents and Young Adults, Megan and Jennifer cite through their study about the popular use of social media, that adolescents and

Looking across the 4 dimensions we have discovered and made the relation on how social media establishes such a significant influence on gendered adolescents. Teens rely heavily on social media in regards to establishing appropriate gendered behaviour. The consequence of this is media withholds a heteronormativity notion, which implies any romantic relationships consisting of opposite sexes are seen as abnormal. Therefore, social media exposes heavily of society’s norms and anything aside from what’s expected to be normal emphasizes the difference and ostracizing is then encountered. As we move forward with this paper, we will begin to distinguish an action plan so each member within society regardless of their gender can feel accepted and

At some point in our lives, each of us has let others’ opinions about us influence our perception of ourselves. Whether you’re feeling sad because of a spat with a friend, or elated because of a compliment from your boss on a job well done, you are allowing others’ opinions of you to influence how you feel about yourself.

How does social media usage by teenagers and young adults affect academic performance, attitude towards school, and concept of identity?

How many times a day do you find yourself pressing refresh on your favorite social media feed? The social media platform has grown to be bigger than anyone expected. It has taken over our lives and it controls our opinions, thoughts, and ideas. We are heavily influenced by social media and what it allows us to see. It seems as if people are stuck in a trap that they don’t realize they are in. The problem has been acknowledged, yet people continue to constantly post and wait for their favorite celebrity to update their status. Social media affects our lives in more ways than one, including creating a new identity, leading to low self-esteem, causing a lack of privacy, and resulting in the loss of social skills.

Some of the top benefits of social media over the years are that it is free to anyone, the content can get out to resources virtually immediately, and it can be delivered to a wide variety of people. For these reasons, communication through social media has become an extremely accessible and convenient way to communicate. It is also popular for those who need to be in contact with others. One example that comes to mind is a teenager who goes away on a trip to visit a friend or family. They can be hundreds of miles away but still talk to their parents as if they weren’t. Another example is a person who is shy and has a hard time making friends face-to-face, social media sites are a great way to meet people and build relationships.