Amber Jones

Professor Keatley

Research Paper

MSP 111 KC

Social Media: Self-Esteem Paradox

The average teenager spends more than 9 hours per day on social media, which gives

them plenty of time to question their self-esteem. Social media has become a prevalent part of

the lives of many around the world, but how does that affect the view a person has of their

appearance? According to Claire Kearns of Mirror-mirror.org, girls who spend more time on

social media are two times more likely to develop eating disorders and have issues with their

appearance. Spending too much time on social media causes eating disorders because it causes

anxiety and depression, portrays unrealistic images by the usage of filters, and lends itself toward

comparison.

Social media has become an outlet for many to keep in touch with old friends and family,

stay up to date on current events, and even allows people to follow the lives of their favorite

celebrities. Social media apps, such as Snapchat, offer filters to users. Snapchat filters give

users lighter eyes, perfect skin, and even make the users appear thinner. Teens are also using

apps, such as, Facetune and Airbrush, to edit their appearance because they believe that they

need to look perfect for their friends and followers. People feel the need to make it seem like

their lives are perfect on social media, so many will use those photos as a public representation
of themselves on their accounts. According to Patti Richards of Center for Change, "Without

the ability to consistently make good choices or have appropriate judgment- from the part of the

teenage brain that is not fully developed until age 25- young people perceive what they see as

reality. They are unable to tell the difference between everyday life, a moment in time or an

image that has been altered." Teens are already very critical of their own appearance, and social

media adds to the insecurity. Some teens even admitted that social media affects their mental

health, and they feel like they are obligated to post photos that make them look better than they

do.

According to John Sugarman of Johns Hopkins Health Review, anxiety and depression

rates in adolescents have spiked within the past 10 years. The article states:

“And girls tend to do it more often than boys. Whether due to hormonal changes at

puberty, societal pressures regarding appearance, or the fact that they’re more likely to

share their feelings, girls have always recorded rates of depression about twice that of

boys. Mojtabai’s research found that one in six had suffered a major bout of depression.

Another recent analysis by the RAND Corporation pegged the number even higher—

estimating that more than 36 percent of girls in America have been or are depressed by

the time they reach 17.”

Teenage girls tend to spend more time on social media which could lead to problems with mental

health. Girls tend to be critical of themselves and others. Pressure for girls to look a certain way

has become extremely high. As a result, the insecurity has the potential to lead to self-harm,

cyber bullying, and eating disorders. Cyberbullying has become one of the negative trends of
social media. Contributor of the Huffington Post, Greta Gleissner states that "as many as 65% of

people with eating disorders say bullying contributed to their condition.” Bullies have found

success in using social media to shame others to make themselves feel better. Social media

encourages bullying by allowing people to have anonymity, so they feel as if there are no

consequences to their actions. 1 in 10 teens also admit they’ve had embarrassing pictures taken

of themselves without their knowledge on cell phone cameras. Teens tend to post these photos

online to let others in on the "joke" and shame other teens. These victims of cyberbullying are

more prone to low self-esteem and suicide.

Social Media's intended use was for keeping connections with friends and family when

they're not around. Many people use social media to stay up to date on news, trends, and make

connections with people. People also think that posting for likes on photos is a positive thing.

For example, some people say if they post photos or videos of them working out, they feel as if

they’re spreading “body positivity.” They claim the likes inspire them to post more and make

them feel good about themselves and their bodies. This can have a huge negative effect on those

who are dealing with body image issues because they will most likely compare themselves. In

short, people will argue that social media brings people closer together and raises self-esteem. In

some cases, this is true, but, social media is isolating people more than ever. It has been proven

that people who are outgoing become depressed and isolated the more they spend time on social

media. While social media has some positive qualities, it brings out very negative qualities in

people and make them feel inadequate.

 In conclusion, social media can be both beneficial and harmful to the youth of America,

but it is not going anywhere. Social media usage and screen time in teens has risen at least 20%

in just five years. Parents can take steps to make sure their child is not getting distracted from

school work by social media, take phones away before eating family meals, confirm their teen is

not actively participating in cyber bullying, and make them realize that social media should not

be a time waster. Social media can breed narcissism which is a very toxic trait to have. If we do

not get the social media addictions and unrealistic expectations under control, teens could be in

trouble in the future.

 Works Cited
Anderson, Jenny, and Jenny Anderson. “Even Teens Are Worried They Spend Too Much Time
on Their Phones.” Quartz, Quartz, 23 Aug. 2018, qz.com/1367506/pew-research-teens-worried-
they-spend-too-much-time-on-phones/.

“Are Instagram and Other Social Media Bad for Your Teen's Mental Health?” Abington,
www.abingtonhealth.org/healthy-living/health-news/library/articles-related-to-general-
health/are-instagram-and-other-social-media-bad-for-your-teens-mental-h/#.XMTUKOhKjD5.

“Cyber Bullying Statistics.” Bullying Statistics, 7 July 2015,

www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/cyber-bullying-statistics.html.

Gleissner, Greta, and Greta Gleissner. “Social Media and Its Effect on Eating
Disorders.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 10 May 2017, www.huffpost.com/entry/social-media-and-its-
effect-on-eating-disorders_b_591343bce4b0e3bb894d5caa.

“Home.” Social Media And Eating Disorders ..........Helpful or Harmful?, www.mirror-

mirror.org/social-media.htm.

“How Does Media Impact Body Image and Eating Disorder Rates?” Center for Change, 14 Aug.
2017, centerforchange.com/how-does-media-impact-body-image-and-eating-disorder-rates/.

“The Rise of Teen Depression.” Johns Hopkins Health Review,

www.johnshopkinshealthreview.com/issues/fall-winter-2017/articles/the-rise-of-teen-depression.

WVEA, www.wvea.org/content/teens-spend-astounding-nine-hours-day-front-screens-
researchers.