This extensive review is guided by two questions: (1). Does active social media use impact adolescent self-esteem? How so? And (2). Does active social media use affect levels of depression during adolescence? How so? Themes of adverse outcomes abound, such as issues with body image, cyberbullying, and increased social comparison that lowers self-esteem and increases sadness. Recognizing social media’s dual nature, the review also emphasizes its advantages, including how it may improve communication, promote pleasant social connections, and give people a platform for expression. Furthermore, the literature recommends educational programs, parental guidance, and online community initiatives to promote responsible adolescent social media use while acknowledging its potential mental health benefits.
Keywords: Adolescent, social media, mental health, self-esteem, depression, social comparison, cyberbullying, body image, educational programs, parental guidance, online community initiatives.
Today’s adolescents ranging from (11-17) years living in a digital environment, with social media’s ubiquitous influence, especially during the COVID-19 outbreak, favouring Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. According to a 2019 ISTAT survey, an astounding 85.8% of Italian teenagers between the ages of 11 and 17 frequently use smartphones, and more than 72% use them to access the internet (Bozzola, 2022). The COVID-19 epidemic exacerbated this tendency; according to a 2021 CENSIS report, 95% of Italian adolescents use smartphones, with 46% using them for more than three hours daily. Social media is the dominant platform; 72% of users prefer Instagram, 62% use TikTok, and 58% use YouTube (Bozzola, 2022). These figures demonstrate the widespread use of media devices and the concentration of teenage activity on popular social media sites at a time when online connectedness and participation were essential for preserving social bonds and educational continuity.
The pervasive adoption of social media among adolescents marks a transformative phase intertwined with challenges that shape their identity, self-discovery, and susceptibility to peer influence. During a critical stage of their mental and emotional growth, adolescents struggle with the significant adverse effects of social media on their well-being. Concerns about body image, cyberbullying, and the urge to follow trends online are substantial issues, and these platforms’ continual connectivity exacerbates anxiety, addiction, and sleep disorders. Achieving an equilibrium between the advantages of social media, such as improved communication and educational prospects, and the possible hazards is a complex task. Parents, educators, and healthcare professionals must thoroughly understand the nuances of social media use within this age group to support and guide adolescents as they navigate the complex digital landscape and promote healthy development during this crucial life stage.
The literature review will focus on answering two significant questions: (1). Does active social media use impact self-esteem during adolescence? How so? And ( 2). Does active social media use affect levels of depression during adolescence? How so? First, the essay explored the complex relationship between active use of social media and its impact on teenage self-esteem, looking at how social comparison, exposure to idealized images, and particular platform activities affect changes in self-worth. Secondly, the review examined the complex relationships between teenage depression and active social media use, looking into possible connections between cyberbullying, unfavourable online interactions, and the consumption of content that may exacerbate depressive symptoms. In the third part, I concluded by advocating for targeted interventions, collaborative efforts, and a holistic approach to address the complex impact of social media on adolescents’ psychological well-being.
The social comparison and the social identity theories are the theoretical frameworks that are used to investigate how active social media use affects psychological well-being, specifically in terms of depression and self-esteem throughout adolescence. Therefore, the Social Comparison Theory shows how active social media use might cause adolescents to compare constantly, potentially affecting self-esteem. Additionally, the social identity theory argues that individuals place themselves and others in social categories according to whom they identify, and their self-worth strongly depends on how successfully or well they evaluate these social categories. Adolescents participate in online communities in which they develop their social identity by sharing interests and character traits. A social identity theory developed by Turner and Tajfel (1979) stipulates that an individual’s sense of self is rooted in memberships (Turner & Tajfel, 1979). Adolescents’ involvement and identification with online groups in social media might affect their self-esteem. Interactions between these groups can make people feel good about themselves, and bad experiences or comparing oneself with other groups can reduce self-confidence and increase symptoms of depression. Hence, the combination of Social Comparison and social identity theories is a more robust theory to study the detailed patterns of the active usage of social media leading to mental health issues like self-esteem and depression in adolescence.
Social Comparison and Lowered Self-esteem
The social media platform is associated with negative self-esteem among teenagers, leading to an adverse effect on their psychological health. Lee (2020) explores the impact of social comparison orientation on psychological well-being within social networking sites. The precise findings of Lee’s study show a causal relationship or correlation between changes in teenagers’ self-esteem and the frequency or kind of social media activity. Regular exposure to curated and potentially idealized representations of others may cause increased susceptibility to changes in self-esteem among adolescents who engage in upward comparisons on Facebook. Therefore, Specific activities and comparisons on social media decrease teens’ self-esteem.
Additionally, media platforms, especially Instagram, affect adolescents’ social anxiety through social comparison and self-esteem. Irmer and Schmiedek’s (2023) research clarifies the complex relationships between teenage well-being and daily social media use. The study found significant correlations between social media use and decreased positive affect (β = -0.31, R² = 9.7%), increased negative affect (β = 0.26, R² = 6.9%), and lower positive self-worth (β = -0.28, R² = 7.7% between individuals (Irmer & Schmiedek, 2023). MSEM found that upward social comparisons mediated these associations, underlining their importance in well-being outcomes. Days with more social media use were linked to more extreme upward social comparisons within the same person (β = 0.09, R² = 5.6%), linked to lower positive and higher negative self-worth. Furthermore, statistical connections are found in Jiang and Ngien’s (2020) survey, which investigates the relationship between Instagram and social anxiety. With bootstrapping confirming the mediation effect (95% CI = [0.0151, 0.0729]), path analysis revealed a significant correlation between Instagram use and increased social comparison (β = 0.23, p < 0.001) and heightened social anxiety (β = 0.28, p < 0.001) (Jiang & Ngien, 2020). Thus, social comparison and self-esteem were negatively correlated, suggesting that Instagram use affects social anxiety through these mechanisms.
Social Media Association with Depression
Teenage depression and social media use highlight a strong linkage, demonstrating links with negative mental health consequences such as anxiety, restless nights, and low self-esteem. Intensive social networking is linked to an elevated rate of clinical depressive disorder manifestations other than distress, sleeplessness, low self-worth, and both social and look anxiety. Interestingly, among research approaches, surveys dominated; they adopted shared scales to measure different elements such as depression, social media usage, self-esteem, and sleep quality. Interestingly, eight studies reported more frequent depressive symptoms in female social media users than among their male counterparts. This assessment highlights the need for monitoring adolescent’s usage of social media as well as support to those facing depression. Nevertheless, it underscores the need for more studies that will lead to a thorough understanding of the causative factors and a standardized means of evaluation in this intricate linkage. Hence, the scoping analysis shows a worrying connection between adolescent social media use and depression, requiring intervention, support, and more research.
Media Content in Shaping Body Perceptions
Social media’s beauty comparisons and sexualized images cause adolescent body dissatisfaction and mental health issues. The study comprehensively analyzed the link between body image disorders and using social media, including how often an individual compares themselves with their followers in photos or videos online. This study involving 1331 participants aged 15-35 found that the frequency of such comparisons correlated with the drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction. Along similar lines, Papageorgiou et al. (2022) examined the effect of sexually explicit images on social media platforms on adolescent’s girl’s mental health. Through in-depth interviews with 24 girls aged 14−17, the study found that exposure to such images worsens body dissatisfaction and exacerbates appearance-related worries (Papageorgiou et al., 2022). These girls showed self-criticism about their appearance, drawing links with the negative effect of social media in changing their physical features as an attempt for acceptance or validation by family or peers. The findings in these two studies further emphasize the vulnerability of adolescents, especially girls, to the adverse effects of electronic media on their self-image. Hence, such consideration should be integral in all prevention programs dealing with these problems or treatment plans. Therefore, Studies on comparisons and sexualized images on social media show unfavourable associations with adolescents’ body image and mental health.
Positive Social Interaction
Social media promotes healthy social interactions and the development of essential qualities for young people to have good mental health. Youth can interact and exchange thoughts and feelings via various forms of media such as texts, voice, video, and images on social media sites, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube. These instruments allow the youths to create beneficial cyberspaces for positive socialization. The studies imply that social media forms a virtual place for communication among the youths in which they present their problems and get advice from peers. Also, the American Psychological Association (2023) shows how having good relations with others can influence someone to grow up happy and satisfied with their lives, have meaningful associations, be optimistic about themselves, and build character. As a result, it should be noted that the benefits of social media, where it works most optimally about positive social contacts for children’s psychiatric care, require a balancing act (American Psychological Association, 2023). Thus, Social media promotes beneficial social relationships and mental health in kids. Therefore, its effects must be considered.
Enhanced Communication and Expression
Social media platforms like TikTok enable constructive communication through diverse content formats and promote positive expression. Ettisa (2023) conducted a literature study that delves into the effects of TikTok on students, offering insights into a range of areas such as academic achievement, mental health, social relationships, and overall well-being (Ettisa, 2023). TikTok is a famous social networking website used by many worldwide, especially students. The evaluation acknowledges TikTok’s function as a platform for creating educational content in addition to entertainment. It offers insights into the positive and bad aspects of the app’s influence on pupils. The authors draw attention to worries about possible diversions, addictive tendencies, and changes in study habits brought on by TikTok use among students. Positive and negative effects are acknowledged, and the platform’s function in spreading mental health information is highlighted in the discussion of the influence on mental health (Ettisa, 2023). The review also explores TikTok’s importance in the entertainment business and its impact on social connections. Thus, TikTok’s effect on students—educational material creation, mental health issues, entertainment influence, and social relationships—has to be considered while designing treatments.
American Psychological Association. (2023, May). Health Advisory on Social Media Use in Adolescence. Apa.org; American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/health-advisory-adolescent-social-media-use
Bozzola, E. (2022). The Use of Social Media in Children and Adolescents: Scoping Review on the Potential Risks. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(16), 9960. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19169960
Ettisa, D. L. (2023). The Impact of TikTok on Students: A Literature Review. Qeios. https://doi.org/10.32388/EPFGO6
Irmer, A., & Schmiedek, F. (2023). Associations between youth’s daily social media use and well-being are mediated by upward comparisons. Communications Psychology, 1(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-023-00013-0
Jiang, S., & Ngien, A. (2020). The Effects of Instagram Use, Social Comparison, and Self-Esteem on Social Anxiety: A Survey Study in Singapore. Social Media + Society, 6(2), 205630512091248. sagepub. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120912488
Lee, J. K. (2020). The effects of social comparison orientation on psychological well-being in social networking sites: Serial mediation of perceived social support and self-esteem. Current Psychology, 41(9). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-01114-3
Papageorgiou, A., Fisher, C., & Cross, D. (2022). “Why don’t I look like her?” how adolescent girls view social media and its connection to body image. BMC Women’s Health, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-022-01845-4
Turner, J. C., & Tajfel, H. (1979). Social comparison and group interest in ingroup favouritism. European Journal of Social Psychology, 9(2), 187–204. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2420090207