The Impact of Social Media on Self-Perception Among College Students

Background : Many today view the world through the lens of social media. Identity management on social media platforms elicit numerous disadvantages regarding individuals and how they perceive themselves relative to the outside world. It can be difficult to oppose the idea that social media triggers the detriment of mental well-being, potentially altering the perception of self. This study aims to bridge the existing gap in literature between social media and self-perception among college students.

Methods : This quantitative study employed an 11-item questionnaire. The study was broken down into three crucial components. The first component produced affect-related statements about social media with underlying implications regarding self-esteem, thought processes, emotions and social comparison. The second component proposed exposure to social media for 10 consecutive minutes, and the third component had subjects rate their agreement once more with the same affect-related statements.

Results : The 11 pre-test and post-test affect-related statements indicated negative ideals about self-perception of each subject that participated, thus signifying a negative correlation. After statistical hypothesis testing, it has been determined that the results of the data set are statistically significant suggesting an inverse relationship between the independent variable and dependent variable.

Conclusion : The researchers observed that social networking sites challenge traditional perceptions of self, self-presentation tactics and social behavior. Social media inhibits strong peer presence and it is vital to understand how this dynamic plays a role in society today. It is critical to study social media in the context of self-perception due to the sparsity of research studies conducted.