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Sources of Self-Esteem III: Social Comparison

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Social comparison plays a fundamental role in the evaluation of personal success and self-worth. Rather than assessing our achievements in isolation, we interpret their significance relative to personal goals and critically in comparison to the performance of others. A grade of B in a mathematics exam might elicit pride if one's expectation was a C, yet result in disappointment if an A was anticipated or if peers achieved superior results. These comparative evaluations illustrate how both...

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Self-esteem—an individual's overall evaluation of their worth—plays a complex role in psychological functioning and well-being. It is often associated with many positive traits, such as confidence, optimism, and perseverance. Individuals with high self-esteem typically experience better sleep, manage peer pressure more effectively, and report greater life satisfaction. Conversely, low self-esteem has been consistently linked with increased risks of depression, anxiety, and poor...

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Sources of Self-Esteem I: Family Experience

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Self-esteem, a crucial component of psychological development, is significantly shaped by familial experiences. The early parent-child relationship serves as a foundational influence on a child's self-concept, with long-lasting effects extending into adolescence and adulthood.Parental Behaviors and Early Self-Esteem FormationEmpirical studies have identified four principal parental behaviors that foster healthy self-esteem in children. These include expressions of acceptance, affection, and...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 1, 2025

The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test

The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test

Published on: November 19, 2015

Social media and self-esteem.

Drew P Cingel¹, Michael C Carter², Hannes-Vincent Krause³

¹Human Development and Media Lab, University of California, One Shields Avenue, 373 Kerr Hall, Davis, CA 95616, USA.

Current Opinion in Psychology

|March 4, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Social media

Keywords:

Self-esteem Self-reflection Social comparison Social feedback Social media

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Area of Science:

Psychology
Media Studies
Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

The link between social media use and self-esteem is complex and yields mixed results.
Previous meta-analyses show small, yet significant, effects, suggesting a nuanced relationship.

Purpose of the Study:

To review recent empirical studies on the social media-self-esteem relationship.
To explore person-specific effects and moderating variables influencing this connection.

Main Methods:

Literature review of recent empirical studies.
Analysis of research focusing on individual differences in social media use and self-esteem outcomes.

Main Results:

Social media's impact on self-esteem is not uniform; most users show minimal effects.
Small user segments experience either positive or negative effects, indicating person-specific impacts.
Individual susceptibilities and specific usage patterns are key determinants.

Conclusions:

The social media-self-esteem relationship is highly individualized.
Future research should focus on person-specific effects and moderating factors.
Understanding differential uses is crucial for future research directions.