Hello readers, and welcome to blog #4! Today, I’m very excited to show some insights from my latest research project, which brought about amazing discoveries. So, to get straight to what I’ve been doing and what’s next for my inquiry question “How does Instagram affect teenagers self-esteem and relationships?”
- Where Am I with My Research?
I have already reviewed Instagram features such as likes, filters, and comments to find out what they mean to teenagers and how they contribute to the self-esteem of teenagers. I have also examined how Instagram’s algorithm keeps pulling teens in so that they often get comparisons, leading to stress. Finally, I am currently focusing on determining how Instagram affects relationships such as friendships and the experience of feeling connected, or not connected. - Accomplishments So Far
Finding studies that prove how anxiety and low self esteem come as a result of comparing oneself to others on Instagram is one of my top accomplishments. Also of interest are the illustrations of how teens suffer from jealousy due to what they see or do not see on Instagram. This adds more meaning to my work and explains why social media could possibly have such a big impact on the lives of teenagers. - Obstacles and Solutions
The problem of narrowing all the information that comes into my research about social media into the most useful and relevant points. I have been able to narrow it down to three areas: self-esteem, mental health, and relationships. Another problem is that I don’t find stories that talk about their experiences in becoming teenagers, but mostly I’ve been using my friends and surveys to get personal ones for them. - What’s Next?
Then I move on to deep research into how Instagram affects mental health and academic performance. I plan to gather other personal stories and studies to add to the research. In my next post, I will also work towards including ways of publicizing solutions, such as tips for teens using Instagram in healthier ways. - Conclusion
I have found that Instagram has positive and negative effects on teenagers. The bright side is that it helps teens remain connected and express themselves, whereas, on the other hand, it becomes a source of low self-esteem and anxiety, affecting relationships because of constant comparison and perfection pressure. A good part of these outcomes is attributed to Instagram’s design, including its features and algorithms.
While I continue with my research, I hope to also find very practical solutions that teens can adopt to manage social media time in reducing impacts. By knowing how Instagram influences mental health and relationships, we can all work towards creating healthier habits and using social media to benefit us rather than to bring us down.
Recourses:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10131713/
https://www.udel.edu/udaily/2024/march/social-media-academic-achievement-research
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/7959
https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/05/health/instagram-self-esteem-parenting-wellness/index.html
-Amir