Social Media Builds and Breaks Self-Esteem

"Many of us are guilty of doomscrolling, endlessly scrolling through short-form videos or social media posts. Often, we spend more time than we intend on social media. This is because these platforms are designed to maximise user engagement. Social media algorithms show us content that will grab our attention and encourage engagement through likes, comments, and shares. 1 On average, internet users spend around seven hours per week on social media. 2"

"Receiving likes on our social media posts can make us happy and give us a self-esteem boost. 3,4 Sociometer theory explains that we are sensitive to social feedback from others because it was necessary to understand our social standing within a group in our evolutionary history. 5 When we feel accepted by others, we experience higher self-esteem because our social standing is secure."

"Social media can make us feel good, connect us to others, and allow us to learn new things. But we can also feel worse about ourselves because of the idealised content others share. How social media affects our self-esteem depends on several things, including our base self-esteem, our tendency to compare ourselves to others, and whether we are active or passive on social media."

Social media platforms are designed to maximise user engagement through algorithms that surface attention-grabbing content and encourage likes, comments, and shares. Internet users spend around seven hours per week on social media on average. Social media can provide connection, learning, and temporary self-esteem boosts when posts receive positive feedback. Sociometer theory explains sensitivity to social feedback because social acceptance signals secure social standing. Idealised content and selective sharing can make people feel worse by prompting upward social comparisons. Individual differences — baseline self-esteem, tendency to compare, and active versus passive use — shape whether social media helps or harms well-being. Validation-seeking use associates with lower self-esteem, poorer well-being, and addictive posting behaviours.

Read at Psychology Today