A Study of Social Media Engagement on Social Connectedness and Self-Esteem in Young Adults

Abstract

With the advancement in technology, social media has become one of the most significant platforms for interaction in today’s world. It offers a variety of rewards such as likes, comments, shares, DMs, etc. Yet this can harm one’s mental health. Over-engagement in social media can affect one’s relationship with the self and that with others. The present research aims to study the impact of social media engagement on social connectedness and self-esteem. The research was conducted on 60 young adults including 30 males and 30 females (aged 20-30 years). Standardized measures of social media engagement, social connectedness, and self-esteem were administered on participants. The findings of the study revealed a negative correlation between social media engagement and social connectedness as well as social media engagement and self-esteem. It was also found that there is a positive correlation between social connectedness and self-esteem. The study has important implications such as the need to maintain enriching relationships in real life by reducing time spent on social media and also redirecting energy on building positive self-esteem.