The Relationship Between Adolescent Social Media Use and Body Esteem: The Mediating Role of Self- Concept Clarity
Journal: Region - Educational Research and Reviews DOI: 10.32629/rerr.v6i8.2491
Abstract
Extensive social media use significantly affects adolescents' body esteem. Self-concept clarity, referring to a clear and stable understanding of one’s identity, is crucial for mental health and may mediate the relationship between social media use and body esteem. This study aims to investigate the relationship between social media use intensity and body esteem in adolescents, along with the mediating role of self-concept clarity. A survey of 500 students from a university in Guangdong Province was conducted using the Social Networking Sites Usage Intensity Scale, the Body-Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults, and the Self-Concept Clarity Scale. Data were analyzed with regression analysis and mediation effect tests. Results indicated that social media use intensity was significantly negatively correlated with body esteem and self-concept clarity. Additionally, self-concept clarity mediates the relationship between social media use and body esteem. These findings suggest that self-concept clarity significantly influences adolescents' body esteem, and interventions should focus on enhancing self-concept clarity to improve body esteem.
Keywords
adolescents, social media use, body esteem, self-concept clarity
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[3]McKinley N. M. Women and objectified body consciousness: Mothers' and daughters' body experience in cultural, developmental, and familial context. Developmental Psychology. 1999; 35(3): 760-769.
[4]Vernon L., Barber B. L., Modecki K. L. Adolescent problematic social networking and school experiences: The mediating effects of sleep disruptions and sleep quality. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking. 2015; 18(7): 386-392.
[5]Vossen H. G. M., Valkenburg P. M. Do social media foster or curtail adolescents' empathy? A longitudinal study. Computers in Human Behavior. 2016; 63: 118-124.
[6]Barry C. T., Sidoti C. L., Briggs S. M., Reiter S. R., Lindsey R. A. Adolescent social media use and mental health from adolescent and parent perspectives. Journal of Adolescence. 2017; 61: 1-11.
[7]Campbell J. D. Self-esteem and clarity of the self-concept. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1990; 59(3): 538-549.
[8]Bigler M., Neimeyer, G. J., Brown, E. The divided self revisited: Effects of self-concept clarity and self-concept differentiation on psychological adjustment. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology. 2001; 20(3): 396-415.
[9]Slotter E. B., Gardner, W. L., Finkel, E. J. Who am I without you? The influence of romantic breakup on the self-concept. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 2010; 36(2): 147-160.
[10]Fernandez S., Pritchard M. Relationships between self-esteem, media influence and drive for thinness. Eating Behaviors. 2012; 13(4): 321-325.
[11]Cohen R., Blaszczynski, A. Comparative effects of Facebook and conventional media on body image dissatisfaction. Journal of Eating Disorders. 2015; 3(1): 23.
[12]Yang C., Holden S. M., Carter M. D. K. Emerging adults' social media self-presentation and identity development at college transition: Mindfulness as a moderator. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology. 2017; 52: 212-221.
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