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Social media use lowers adolescents' self-esteem.
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CONTESTED PARTIAL
Recorded sources
9 sources for · 2 against
Is it true that social media use lowers adolescents' self-esteem?
Partly. Several small cross-sectional and qualitative studies report negative associations between heavier social media use and adolescent self-esteem, while a cohort-based reference entry finds no generational self-esteem shift attributable to social media and one rural survey argues the negative screen-time link is overstated and misspecified. The evidence covers only parts of the claim and points in both directions.
Verdict: CONTESTED PARTIAL · 9 sources for, 2 against · Last checked
Evidence for · 9
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Contingent self-esteem. (n.d.). en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contingent_self-esteem
Evidence against · 2
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Self-esteem. (n.d.). en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-esteem
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More for · 8
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Mustafa, F., Bibi, S., & Majeed, M. (2024). Impact of Social Media Use, Social Comparison & Self-Esteem Among Adolescents. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.31703/gmcr.2024(ix-iii).02
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Berrios, A. & Edouard, K. (n.d.). Social media usage and its relationship to self-esteem among female adolescents. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.17918/00000115
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Carwati, C., Apriliyani, I., & Haniyah, S. (2024). The Relationship Between the Intensity of Social Media Use and Self-esteem in Adolescents at SMK Kesehatan Kesatrian 2 Purwokerto. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.32832/pro.v7i1.475
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Chen, Y. (2025). A comparative study of state self-esteem responses to social media feedback loops in adolescents and adults. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1625771
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Self-esteem and social media addiction level in adolescents: The mediating role of body image - PMC Lock. (n.d.). pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. https://doi.org/10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_306_22
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Ghosh, D. R. (2026). The Impact of Social Media on Adolescent Self-Esteem: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Gender Differences and Psychological Outcomes. zenodo.org. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19540569
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Aggeliki, B. & IOANNIS, K. (2024). THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON ADOLESCENTS' MENTAL HEALTH: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. zenodo.org. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21325462
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#Sleepyteens: Social media use in adolescence is associated with poor sleep quality, anxiety, depression and low self‐esteem. (n.d.). cir.nii.ac.jp. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.05.008
More against · 1
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Disconnection More Problematic for Adolescent Self-Esteem than Heavy Social Media Use: Evidence from Access Inequalities and Restrictive Media Parenting in Rural America. (n.d.). cir.nii.ac.jp. https://doi.org/10.1177/08944393221117466
also asked as
- Does social media use lower adolescents' self-esteem?
- Is it true that teenagers' self-esteem is reduced by social media?
- Do adolescents experience lower self-esteem because of social media?
- Are social media platforms causing lower self-esteem in teenagers?
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