How Facebook Affects Student Self-Esteem and Well-Being

The Internet is used by 78.2% of people within the United States, enabling individuals to search, learn, progress, and connect globally (Internet Users in North America, 2011). It has revolutionized the way people communicate, work, and live. The internet provides a multitude of services ranging from dating sites, media access, discussion forums, reviews and educational resources.

The development and growth of the online culture brings unique influence and presence in society. Researchers have particular interest in social networking sites and the effects on self-esteem and well-being. Facebook is recognized as the most popular social networking site.

In June of 2014, Facebook reported an average of 829 million users daily. Originally developed as a network for college students, Facebook remains true to its purpose. Among United States college students, 96% have Facebook profiles (OnlineEducation. net, 2012).

Entering college is a time of transition and exposure to new stressors. A student’s self-esteem and overall well-being are challenged during this season. Social networking sites such as Facebook are intended to connect students to one another. It has even been described as the “social glue” that helps young adults transition to college life (Madge et al., 2009).

This paper explores the impact of Facebook on college students’ self-esteem and well-being as they experience a critical time of identity formation.

Terms Defined

Social Networking & Facebook

Social networking is defined as the use of dedicated websites and applications to interact with other users, or to find people with similar interests to oneself.

Several social networking sites target a variety of audiences by enabling people and groups to share photos and videos, maintain blogs, and encourage group interactions through chat rooms, instant messaging, and e-mail. The goal of each site is to bring people with common goals together (Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, & Zickuhr, 2010).

Founded in 2004, Facebook, allows registered users to create profiles, upload photos and video, send messages and keep in touch (Facebook, 2014). A person logs in, scrolls through the news feed of their friends pictures and updates (Facebook, 2014). Literature estimates the average person devotes somewhere between 30 minutes and two hours per day to Facebook (Ellison, 2007; Chapin & Bryne, 2013).

During the 2014 World Cup, Facebook reported over 3 billion interactions naming the World Cup as the most discussed event online in history (2014). Although the global soccer tournament holds the attention, it is equally impressive that Facebook served as the main forum of this record-breaking statistic.

Self-Esteem & Well-Being

Self-esteem is a person’s overall self-evaluation of his or her worth (Tennen et al., 2013). Self-esteem is heavily influenced by relationships with others. All humans have a need to maintain and/or increase their self-esteem.

People have a tendency to behave in ways that enhance their perceived self-worth. This evolves as an especially interesting concept in the context of social networking and the ways individuals present themselves online (Kramer & Winter, 2008). As college students work to assert their identity, their self-esteem most likely plays a role in their efforts.

Well-being is a broader term, referring to holistic health. Mental, social, physical, and emotional health are all key components of well-being (Tennen et al., 2013). For the purposes of this synthesis, a college student described with high levels of well-being indicates a person who is able to respond to difficult circumstances, constructively engage with others, and function without extreme anxiety and/or depression (Tennen et al., 2013).

Positive self-esteem is an important component of well-being and is referenced as such in the research throughout this paper.

College Students’ Self-Esteem & Well-Being

Transitioning into college may be one of the most stressful times in a young adult’s life (National Mental Health Association, 2001). Many young adults leave an established social circle and routine and enter a college with a new set of challenges.

Experiencing isolation, relationship conflict, missing family and friends, and navigating the balance between school, social commitments, and finances standout as the most common stressors for college students (Kisch, Leino, & Silverman 2005; Mowbray et al., 2006).

These stressors often result in depression and anxiety. The National College Health Assessment reports that that 31. 6% of undergraduate students reported that they were “so depressed that it was difficult to function” at some time in the past year (American College Health Association, 2012).

This information is critical as suicide is the third leading cause of death for college students (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010). Students experiencing deep depression and thoughts of suicide are identified as having low well- being.

Researchers have consistently found links between depression and low self-esteem (Dixon & Kurpius, 2008; Eisenbarth, 2012). Students with higher self-esteem report fewer mental health problems than those with lower self-esteem suggesting that self-esteem contributes to higher overall well-being (Merianos, 2013).

Research has also indicated that social support and self-esteem are connected (Brockelman, 2009; National Mental Health Association, 2001). Social support has also been associated with high self-esteem and feelings of well-being, again supporting the notion that self-esteem contributes greatly to well-being (Papikonomou, 2007).

This unveils the challenge of transitioning from likely established social support in high school to an unknown and new social environment and its effect on well-being. Lee, Dickson, Conley, and Holmbeck (2014) noted that college students often disengage from their normal activities as a way of coping with the increased stress and they are more likely to experience depression regardless of their self-esteem. This also reinforcing the importance of active social engagement (Lee et al., 2014).

Facebook and College Students

The popularity of Facebook raises questions of concern about its influence on students. Research indicates both positive (community engagement, social connectedness, and identity development) and negative (rejection, cyberbullying, and depression) consequences of Facebook (O’Keefee et al. , 2011; Valkenburg & Peter, 2009). Considering Facebook’s role in self-esteem and well-being for young adults may benefit students as they adjust to college.

As self-esteem is recognized as a trait that individuals are working to maintain/improve in order to achieve well-being, it can be expected that individuals will work to present themselves positively through their Facebook profile. However, the time spent improving their profile to boost self-esteem and well-being may actually have the opposite effect.

Students who spend more time on social networking sites are likely to have lower grades, higher tendency for narcissism and loneliness, and ultimately lower self- esteem (Jacobsen & Forste, 2011; Mehdizah, 2010; Kross et al., 2013). In a study magnifying social networking addiction, researchers reported Facebook causing “moderate to severe distress in real-life communities, academic performance, and work” (Zaremohzzabieh, Samah, Omar, Bolong, Kamarudin, 2014; Kuss & Griffiths, 2011).

Those qualifying as having “Facebook addiction” report an interest in Facebook all the time, a perceived loss of control, ignorance about personal life, hiding their addiction from others, and as viewing Facebook as a social escape (Kuss & Griffiths, 2011). Facebook addiction may lead to harm of the psychological and social well-being of individuals (Harzadin, 2012).

Another study focusing on college adjustment found first-year students had a stronger emotional connection to Facebook, spent more time on the site, and reported fewer friends than upper-class students (Kalpidou, Costin, & Morris, 2011). The same study, however, also indicates that upper-class students used Facebook moderately to socially connect and had higher social adjustment and attachment to their institution (Kalpidou et al., 2011).

Contrary to previously mentioned research, several studies suggest Facebook as having a healthy influence on self-esteem and well-being. Junghyun and Jong-Eun found that the number of Facebook friends has a positive association with subjective well-being (2011). Individuals with low self-esteem may even benefit from social opportunities provided by Facebook (Ellison, Steinfield, & Lampe, 2007).

The anxiety of meeting face- to-face is removed, and individuals are free to interact in a less-pressured setting. Students with more online friends are also predicted to have high levels of well-being and higher perceived social support (Manago, Taylor, & Greensfield, 2012).

Another analysis revealed that students who spent more time managing their profile had a higher perception of bonding and maintained social capital (Johnston, Tanner, Lalla, & Kawalski, 2013). Although the value of social capital may be relative, Ellison et al. connected self-esteem and social capital and revealed that both increase with Facebook use (2007).

Other researchers report that Facebook is “vital” to achieve knowledge, social acceptance and support; all of which may lead to higher levels of self-esteem, performance skill, and satisfaction with university life (Yu, tian, Vogel, & Chi-Wai Kwok, 2010). Students also report Facebook as a useful tool to connect with peers regarding assignments and course information (Zaremohzzabieh et al., 2014).

Conclusion

Overall, this synthesis reveals broad implications for understanding Facebook in connection to self-esteem and well-being. Although research mentioned in this paper suggests that Facebook has both positive and negative effects on self-esteem and well-being, it cannot be ignored that Facebook does have significant impact on self-esteem and well-being in college students.

With the mixed findings, further research with a more in-depth analysis of gender, race, cultural influences, size of the university, distance from home, involvement in other activities, and external stressors may clarify how Facebook is influencing self-esteem and well-being.

As social networking grows increasingly prevalent, and the self-esteem and well-being surface as key to healthy functioning for college students, research surrounding this topic grow increasing important.