Social Media and Self Esteem

Key Points:

People who use social media frequently tend to exhibit increased levels of anxiety and depression:

• Once on social media, whatever motivated the entry may be replaced by other stressors that fueled the anxiety (describing the link between anxiety and social media, social validation, etc).

• I.e., Individuals with Generalized Anxiety Disorder tend to make upward comparisons and may compare themselves unfavorably with others, making them even more anxious than before.

• The nature of social media with likes, followers, and posts makes these comparisons even more likely. 

Social Media Withdrawal:

• For heavy users of social media, removing access to social media creates anxiety

• An individual with an anxiety condition already leaves social media with new anxieties caused by the stressors of daily life, causing them to go back to social media to alleviate them.