INTRODUCTION
One of the technological platforms regularly visited by college students each and every day is social media. There are many youths who participate in all social media, like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, as if it is an important factor of their lives, something that is essential and necessary. Social media places youths in place where there every posted action and opinion is free to agreeable responses, positive accolades and “likes,” but they are also facing negative comments, hurtful insults and, in some case, even threats. E.A. Vogel, as well as other authors, in the 2014 article for Psychology of Popular Media Culture, titled “Social Comparisons, Social Media and Self-Esteem,” explained the prevalence of social media among modern youths. It is social comparison theory, which argues that people compare themselves to societal standards or individuals within society and base their self worth on attaining positive feedback and elevating their social statuses; there are, also, negative consequences for those that fail to achieve that acceptance and status, as explained, by Katja Corcoran, Jan Crusius and Thomas Mussweiler in the 2011 article for Theories in Social Psychology, titled “Social Comparisons: Motives, Standards and Mechanism.” College aged teens are suffering serious psychological, developmental, academic and physical fallout from the potentially negative loss in self-esteem and body image due to regular activities on social media.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Approximately 80 percent of women are dissatisfied with their appearance and 34 percent of men do not like their bodies. More than 50 percent of Americans do not like their weight and 70 percent of overweight Americans wish they were thinner. What exactly are self-esteem, self-image and body image? In the simplest terms self image is one’s ideas of abilities, appearance and personality, self-esteem is the confidence that one has in themselves and, finally, body image is the subjective idea of one’s physical body appearance, as detailed in the 2014 presentation by Heather R. Gallivan, titled “Teens, Social Media and Body Image,” for the Park Nicollet Melrose Center. The three are all necessary for one to feel like they belong, fit in and are able to face the world. Unfortunately, since the development of social media, more and more people are experiencing negative criticisms and commentary, which is damaging to their self image, lowers their self esteem and can cause them to see themselves as others do, as explained by C.R. Pineiro in the 2016 article “Social Media Use And Self-Esteem In Undergraduate Students,” for Rowan University. Some youths are downright bullied and tormented via social media, leading some youths to choose to attempt to or actually succeed in ending their own lives, as detailed in the article, by S. Stiles, in 2015, “Self-esteem, Anxiety and Suicidal Thoughts Among College Students,” for University of Montana.
Social comparison theory was a presented in the 1950’s by Leon Festinger. He believed that people, who lacked in self esteem often seek to be validated by external sources and the example of others (Corcoran, Crusius & Mussweiler, 2011). The internet is 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, which means social media is with them wherever they may go; their rooms, computers and cell phones. Modern culture is not static, as explained by Chris Shilling in his 2012 book “The Body and Social Theory,” it is always changing and the old standards are replaced by new standards. Someone who was admired one day, may be criticized the next. One of the most damaging elements discussed in the 2015 article, by C. Pennington, “The Impact of Social Media on Body Image,” is what has been called the “selphie” culture. The habit of regularly taking pictures of oneself constantly throughout their days and posting them; this has placed more and more youths under more and more scrutiny that can be detrimental.
Social comparison, the act of self evaluating and comparing oneself against others, is not always negative. Sometimes it helps to inspire healthy competition, fire individual ambition and connects people to their environment, culture, workplace or college campus, as detailed in the article, by S. M. Garcia, A. Tor and T.M. Schiff, in 2013, titled “The Psychology Of Competition: A Social Comparison Perspective,” Perspectives on Psychological Science in 2013. When it comes to body image and self-esteem issues then that competition and comparison are not always beneficial and can be incredibly unhealthy to their mental, emotional and overall well-being. Social media can be directly contributory to negative self-esteem, self-image and body image among college student body, between the ages of 18 and 25, as explained by G. Pepin and N. Endresz, in the 2015 article, “Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Co: Body Image and Social Media,” for the Journal of Eating Disorders. The ideals of beauty and value are misleading on social media, because sometimes the standards are, in fact, unnatural. Even models, after their images are perfected via technology, do not have the bodies and shapes that the public sees. In one study of American women in college, J. Lewallen and E. Behm-Morawitz, in the 2016 article, “Pinterest or Thinterest?: Social Comparison and Body Image On Social Media,” for Social Media + Society, explained meeting those impossible standards can be incredibly damaging to self-esteem, self-image and body image within the target demographic and can lead to any number of negative side effects like over dieting and even eating disorders.
So much of social media is dictated not just by words, acts and opinions, but sometimes solely on images and photographs. This will lead to long list of rude commentary, generally from people they do not know, dissecting everything that is wrong with the picture and, therefore, the person being objectified. There are many negative effects that this kind of criticisms and hateful commentary can have individuals. In most cases, again, the negative self-image, self-esteem and body image issues are more likely to be seen in teen girls and young women in the college environment more so than their male counterparts. Every part of a woman’s body is up for scrutiny and some cannot handle the pressures of competing after comparing themselves to societal or peer group standards. In 2015 the National Eating Disorders Organization, in a short article titled, “Media, Body Image, And Eating Disorders,” stated that in consecutive polls that between 60% and 80% of young girls studied feel that they are less attractive than any of the standards of beauty they are exposed to. If one receives large amounts of positive feedback, then it is possible for such individuals to become a narcissistic. Narcissists literally think they are better than others in the peer group and most of the people in their lives; because they see themselves as flawless, as explained by K. Krizan and B.J. Bishmane, in their 2010 article, “Better Than My Loved Ones: Social Comparison Tendencies Among Narcissists,” for Personality and Individual Differences. This is how high self-esteem and self image becomes overweening and can be problematic for them as they move into the adult world.
According to a recent study, detailed in the 2014 article, by J. Fardouly, and several other authors, titled “Social Comparisons On Social Media: The Impact Of Facebook On Young Women’s Body Image Concerns And Mood,” for Body Image, showed that young women exposed to several minutes of time looking over a social media site and online advertising felt less happy and felt worse about themselves. Women have been comparing themselves to models, magazine advertisements and people in the entertainment industry for decades, because that is who all women should want to be. Unfortunately, as mentioned previously, many of the images have been manipulated and altered, so achieving such ideals is impossible. In the article, Why Don't I Look Like Her? The Impact Of Social Media On Female Body Image,” by K.M. Klein in 2013,” the author explains that the level of comparisons made in the past are dwarfed by the level of comparisons being made on social media today. That being said college aged students are exposed to more and more imagery that they must attempt to achieve or be excluded from acceptance. The level of negative effects to young women’s self-esteem, self-image and body image is becoming ever-increasing among youths and young adults. Youths between the ages of 18-25 are more likely to go to extremes to achieve that acceptance. Some women may engage is extreme dieting and are very often engaged in some kind of eating disorder, as explained in the article by Richard M. Perloff, in the, 2014, article “Social Media Effects On Young Women’s Body Image Concerns: Theoretical Perspectives And An Agenda For Research,” for the publication Sex Roles. Perloff argues that the correlation between social media and negative young female body image needs to be more heavily studied and more succinctly addressed. So many young women engage in “fad” diets or deprive themselves from food altogether. Anorexia and bulimia are both serious eating disorders that can affect these young women’s overall health. T.L. Tylka, and N.J. Sabok in the 2010 article, “Integrating Social Comparison Theory And Self-Esteem With Objectification Theory To Predict Women's Disordered Eating.” for Sex Roles explained that the issues of body image, many young women, also, experience severe depression and distress as well.
Young men between the ages of 18-25 are also affected by the negative sense of self that comes with large amounts of time “competing” and comparing on social media. There are some who argue that the reason that men seem to fare better than women is, firstly, because they are not as emotionally worried about acceptance and are more optimistic than their female counterparts, as explained by S.L. Franzoi and a number of contributing authors, in the 2012 article “Exploring Body Comparison Tendencies: Women Are Self-Critical Whereas Men Are Self-Hopeful, for Marquette University. The second reason is because males have far less demands upon them to look a certain way. Men may struggle with not being muscular and not being tall enough or not athletic enough, but for women it is more extreme. In the research by Cody B. Hobza and a number of coauthors, discussed in a 2007 article, “What About Men? Social Comparison and the Effects Of Media Images On Body And Self-Esteem,” for Psychology of Men & Masculinity, showed that when confronted with the wealth, physique and successes of other males it can lower their self-image and body image, but their self esteem seems less affected than in their female counterparts. Young women have not just shape and size to worry about, but every detail of their bodies are scrutinized. According to one study, by S. Russello, in the 2013 article. “The Impact of Media Exposure on Self-Esteem and Body Satisfaction in Men and Women,” for the Journal of Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research, young men and women spend more than 3500 minutes engage in media yearly, nearly half of that is television and the rest is spent on social media and entertainment. No wonder it is so influential.
The young men and women entering and graduating from college are a unique group; they are truly a product of the era. The issues experienced by teens and young adults in the college environments are relevant and reflective of a social comparison pattern that could follow them throughout their lives if not addressed. Younger and younger children have a presence on social media. From bullies to self comparison, children in high school, junior high and even elementary school are being influenced by what they see on social media and the negative and positive feedback that they receive. According to the study detailed in the 2008 article, by K. Krayer, D.K. Ingledew and R. Iphofen, titled “Social Comparison And Body Image In Adolescence: A Grounded Theory Approach,” for Health Education Research, adolescents on social media engage in a great deal in making social comparison and base a great deal of the foundation of their self-esteem, self image and body perception on those critiques.
CONCLUSION
It would appear that social comparison theory is rampant in the world today especially on social media sites. These youths are being damaged psychologically and emotionally. They are often engage in unhealthy activities and behaviors to meet standards that no one can ever really achieve. Of course, singularly worse outcome that has, does and will likely continue in the future. It is the instances when young men and women in their late teens and early 20s who cannot take the pressure and find themselves comparing themselves to the images on social media who have attempted to or succeeded in committing suicide. They cannot meet the standards for acceptance that they want, they are likely bullied for their flaws or are shamed for their failings; for many this becomes a path to self-harm and even suicide. That alone, for many, is indicative of the problem and there is such a need for further and greater research into these kinds of effects that social media is having on the college aged demographic and the possible negative effects it could have on generations of college aged youths in the future.
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