Social Media and the Self:

By: Sophie Trottier

How Facebook is Changing the Way

Women see Themselves

And the way they evaluate their lives

Image via Sophie Trottier

Facebook encourages us to make

comparisons

BETWEEN

ourselves and Facebook usersImage via Aqueen’s Photography (Flickr)

By creating greater

ACCESSto the way other people live their lives, Facebook increases the visibility level of importance that we place on how we compare to others Photo via OnTask (Flickr)

Naturally

“Humans are COMPETITIVE

… Facebook allows quick and frequent access to others profiles… this encourages social comparison” Erickson

Photo via Markus (Flickr) Source: Christine Erickson, The Social Psychology of the Selfie

“You will find yourself comparing your life to the seemingly perfect ones illustrated on the wonderful…

Source:Lauren Suval, Facebook, Happiness and Self Esteem

Photo via Bonsailara1 (Flickr)

WORLD OF FACEBOOK.””

SUCCESSFUL

Facebook defines a good life and creates the level that needs to be reached in order to consider yourself

Photo via Sweet Caroline (Flickr)

“When scrolling through newsfeeds, we compare other’s successes to our own life” -Shea

Source:Lauren Suval, Facebook, Happiness and Self Esteem Photo via Erik Kalibayev (Flickr)

Idealized

“We project and consume

Source: Andrea Shea, Facebook Envy: How the Social Network Affects Our Self-Esteem Photo via Leigh Taylor (Flickr)

Images through Facebook” - Shea

Facebook has created an

A L T E R N A T E R E A L I T Y

setting an impossible standard by which we must attempt to meet in reality

Image via simonGman (Flickr)

“ the act of viewing all of your friends fabulous vacations, lovely children, attractive friends and great social lives” Brian Willaims in Shea’s article

Source: Andrea Shea, Facebook Envy: How the Social Network Affects Our Self-Esteem Image via Clipper Monsoon (Flickr)

FACEBOOK ENVY:

‘’Facebook users have a

Source: Jennifer Medeiros, Is Facebook Dinging Your Self Esteem? Image via Erin Nicole (Flickr)

1In 3

chance of being envious of other Facebook contacts, leading to

DEPRESSION.”- MEDEIROS

INFERIOR.” -Loechner

“ At some point, no matter how comfortable you are with yourself or your lifestyle it all starts to add up and SUDDENLY, you feel a bit

Source: Erin Loechner, How Quitting Facebook Radically Altered My Self-Esteem Image via julie 92881 (Flickr)

What is easily forgotten is that

the lives people present on Face book are not accurate of one’s

daily life it is a collection of one’s BEST moments, most FLATTERING

photos and wittiest commentsImage via perkyNblue (Flickr)

1In 3 people feel more

dissatisfied with their own lives after spending time on Facebook” -Shea

Image via 13 daz/swan man (Flickr) Source: Andrea Shea, Facebook Envy: How the Social Network Affects Our Self-Esteem

“Increase

of Facebook use leads to decrease in Self Esteem”- Shea

Source: Andrea Shea, Facebook Envy: How the Social Network Affects Our Self-Esteem Image via aphrodite (Flickr)

“Facebook is making it easier

for people to spend more

time and energy

criticizing their own bodies and

wishing they looked like

Someone else” --Harry Brandt in Walton

Source: Alice G. Walton, The True Costs of Facebook Addiction: Low Self- Esteem and Poor Body Image

Image via chrysty (Flickr)

B o d y c o n s c i o u s n e s s ”

“Over half of a study’s 600 participatns said

that looking at photos

Source: Alice G. Walton, The True Costs of Facebook Addiction: Low Self- Esteem and Poor Body Image Image via Sam Wrigglesworth (Flickr)

on Facebook added to their

-Walton

“The more Women used (Facebook),

the

Source: Alice G. Walton, The True Costs of Facebook Addiction: Low Self- Esteem and Poor Body Image Image via Traruige Frau (Flickr)

less

happy

they tended to be”-Walton

“ Quitting facebook

meant no longer searching

for happiness in my

newsfeed, but instead,

feeding my own

Source: Source: Erin Loechner, How Quitting Facebook Radically Altered My Self-Esteem

Image via iryna_beata (Flickr)

SEARCH

For happiness” - Loechner

“Maybe now that we’re aware of its hold, we can become more conscious in how we let it shape our view of

OURSELVES.”

-Shea

Image via jdaverth (Fliickr) Source: Andrea Shea, Facebook Envy: How the Social Network Affects Our Self-Esteem

Sources:

• http://www.wbur.org/2013/02/20/facebook-perfection• http

://www.babble.com/babble-voices/erin-loechner-first-time-around/2013/01/30/how-quitting-facebook-radically-altered-my-self-esteem/

• http://www.forbes.com/fdc/welcome_mjx.shtml • http://technorati.com/social-media/article/is-facebook-

dinging-your-self-esteem/

• http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/10/04/facebook-happiness-and-self-esteem/

• http://mashable.com/2013/02/15/social-media-and-the-selfie/

Image via firoze shakir photographemo1 (Flickr)