The connection between young women’s self-worth and social media feedback
by Sara Malcom
Social media is a primary form of connection and communication among young women today. Developing a sense of belonging affects a woman’s self-worth, self-esteem and emotional well-being. This year I had a class “Counseling Women” for my graduate program in Clinical Mental health counseling and I spent time researching the following question:
What happens when young women’s self-worth is tied to social media feedback?
A particular study by Sabik et al., (2020) assessed 165 US undergraduate women who completed an online questionnaire. They assessed 4 aspects of psychological wellbeing: stress, depressive symptoms, resilience, and self-kindness. Women who reported that their self-worth was tied to social media feedback said they had:
less resilience
less self-kindness
higher levels of stress
higher levels of depressive symptoms
The findings showed that women whose self-worth was reliant on social media feedback have increased risk for poorer psychological wellbeing. This also results in more social comparison.
Young women also face the pressure to present their bodies in objectified pictures that emphasize their femininity, impacting their mental health. Amongst college-age women, when they compare their appearance on social media, they have worse appearance satisfaction and mood (Moradi and Huang, 2008). The pressures, messaging, and photos online form how women see themselves and their overall self-concept.
Not everyone is negatively impacted by social media use however. When self-worth is not dependent on social media feedback communicating on social media has been associated with a decrease in loneliness and depression and an increase in self-esteem and social connection/support.
It is becoming clear that how and why people engage with social media is an important determinant of the mental health outcomes. In other words, if your self-esteem isn’t tied to social media feedback, you may not be negatively impacted by using social media.
What if your self-worth is being negatively impacted by your relationship to social media? Consider taking a break from social media, and re-evaluate your motive behind using social media. If social media has been a tool for you to gain a greater sense of your self-worth by getting likes or boosting your social status, consider other avenues to increase your self-worth; such as positive face-to-face relationships/connection, going to counseling, or reading self-development books.