A Study of the Relationship between self-objectification, social media, and self-esteem

Abstract

Social media and self-objectification can have either a beneficial or detrimental association with one's sense of self-worth. The majority of the research has shown a negative correlation, emphasizing that an individual's wellbeing may be significantly impacted by excessive usage of social media. Self-objectification is a similar consequence of self-presentation and the way women post about and feel about their bodies. According to earlier studies, women who view themselves as objects of evaluation typically have low self-esteem. Studies on women have become more prevalent than those on men. The proposed study aims to address the gap in literature by investigating whether social media and self-objectification as predictors of self-esteem in a sample of young adults in Greece. Approximately 100 young adults who are active users of social media were recruited from online social groups and social media platforms. The following questionnaires were employed in the proposed study: (a) a socio-demographic and social media use questionnaire; (b) the Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale, (c) the Bergen’s Social Media Addiction scale; and (d) the Self-Objectification questionnaire. The findings from the study contribute to our better understanding of the relationship between self-esteem, self-objectification and social media use. Mental health professionals will benefit from understanding the connection of social media use and self-objectification with self-worth.