Ever feel down after browsing Instagram? You're not alone. Many wonder, how does social media cause low self-esteem? We'll dive into the reasons behind this, including how the media can negatively affect self-esteem. By the end, you'll know why self-esteem is important and how to boost it.

GET PROFESSIONAL HELP WITH SELF-ESTEEM

What is Self-Esteem?

Self-esteem is the cornerstone of our sense of self-worth and confidence. It’s essentially the level of satisfaction you feel when you think of yourself. When our self-esteem is high, we feel empowered to take risks, engage the world optimistically, and honor our personal needs and ambitions. Low self-esteem, on the contrary, can deplete our energy and foster negative beliefs and behavior that sabotage our life goals and lead to poor mental health. “Unfortunately, nearly 85% of Americans struggle with low self-esteem” (SesameCare.com).

Many factors contribute to the development of our self-esteem, such as our personal history, interpersonal relationships, and professional accomplishments. You might wonder, how does social media affect self-esteem given that social communication has become such a significant part of our modern life?

Positive Effects of Social Media on Self-Esteem

Before we explore how social media can negatively affect your self-esteem, let’s identify some positive contributions online engagement makes toward your mental health. Social media has the potential to extend your sense of community, offer new connections, and expose you to beliefs and practices held by people around the world. Digital interactions can affirm and normalize aspects of your personality you may have dismissed or undervalued. Social media may also grow your network to include more supportive voices that bolster your self-esteem by helping you to appreciate aspects of yourself that lead to greater confidence.

“According to the American Psychological Association, having high self-esteem is key to positive mental health and well-being. High self-esteem is good because it helps develop coping skills, handle adversity, and put the negative into perspective” (Very Well Mind).

Our team at Healthy Minds NYC hopes you will thrive in New York City and, through therapy, develop the skills you need to bounce back from the periodic hardships of life in a metropolis and live with peace of mind to pursue your dreams. This is why self-esteem is important—it’s a critical part of the foundation for a better life.

Negative Effects of Social Media on Self-Esteem

Unfortunately, social media can be a source of harm to your self-esteem and general mental health and well-being. How can social media negatively affect self-esteem?

The primary issue is unrealistic comparisons. As you scroll through images and text exchanges online, you will likely be confronted by one of two internal reactions. You may view yourself as superior to what you see, estimating your life circumstances, position, or composition to be better than the content online. Or you may experience feelings of inadequacy and inferiority as you peek into the lives of others.

Researchers note that possessing the optimal perceived difference between your life and another individual is key to developing healthy self-esteem. “If we see ourselves as vastly superior to others, we will not be motivated to improve because we already feel that we are in a good position,” notes Sabrina Laplante, a doctorate in psychology for the Université du Québec à Montréal. “Yet, if we perceive ourselves as very inferior, we will not be motivated to improve since the goals seems too difficult to achieve” (The Conversation). As you can imagine, content that elicits the right perceived difference for your particular life circumstances is rare, as each person will need a different balance of inspiration.

Let’s take a moment to consider how social media is currently affecting your life.

Is the content you’re consuming online driving you toward feelings of inferiority or superiority? Pause for a gut check and note how you feel after scrolling online. Are you inspired to push into the kind of healthy life you desire? Or do you feel anxious or discouraged about your potential to get better? How you feel and your thoughts about your life before and after engaging with social media can be helpful indicators of the risk social media presents to your self-esteem.

How to Fix Low Self-Esteem

The good news is that you can take steps to improve your self-esteem. You can radically improve your self-concept by focusing on self-care activities and finding ways to affirm and amplify positive beliefs about yourself. “Low self-esteem can become a deeply ingrained part of your nature. But by practicing self-care, you can improve low self-esteem and reduce its effect on your daily life” (Healthline).

A therapist can help you uncover the self-care strategies that will be most effective for you. In your next therapy session, ask your mental health care provider which tools or practices could be most useful for you based on your unique wiring and your particular cognitive distortions. For example, if you struggle with a cognitive distortion therapists call “discounting the positive,” where you regularly reject positive information, a self-care strategy that involves intentional identification of positive attributes may be most useful for you.

If you do not have a therapist, reach out to the Care Coordinator at Healthy Minds NYC for support in connecting with one who best fits your lifestyle and particular challenges. You can book a free consultation with our office or take our free “Do I Need Therapy?” quiz to explore whether a therapist, psychiatrist, or even life coach might be best for your situation.