Digital technology can impact the development of self-esteem in adolescents in both positive and negative ways. Positively, social media allows teens to share their lives which can improve self-esteem through social comparison. However, comparison on social media can also cause teens to feel inadequate. Excessive social media use is linked to addiction which impacts self-esteem. While social media gives shy teens a way to connect, low self-esteem users may experience further drops in self-esteem from online interactions. Research shows self-esteem is lowest in adolescence and develops over the lifespan with both digital impacts and traditional influences.

1. DPSY: 5121-6121-8121
Discussion 1 - Week 5
In this Discussion, you will examine the development of self-esteem in adolescents and how
digital technology might impact that development.
By Day 3
Post an explanation of the impact digital technology has on the development of self-esteem
in adolescents [as well as] its advantages and disadvantages.
Self-esteem refers to evaluations about oneself (e.g., negative, or positive); it includes attitudes,
beliefs, and emotional states (Baumeister, Campbell, Krueger, & Vohs, 2003; Osborne, 2018).
One may have, for example, a thought that he or she is worthy of something; a belief that such
could not have happened to a better person, and an experience that derives from feeling blissful
rather than despair.
In 1892, Psychologist William James defined the term to emphasized that success correlates with
pleasant feelings about oneself including positive attitudes about self-esteem. If an outcome is
not as desired, for example, the effect on self-esteem could be negative (Osborne, 2018). Based,
in part, on William James’ research, Sociologist Morris Rosenberg designed the Rosenberg self-
Esteem Scale, which is an effective self-report instrument used for evaluating self-esteem among
children and adults (Baumeister et al., 2003; Baumeister, Smart, & Boden, 1996).
Today, studies not only validate theories that development of positive self-esteem (SE) correlates
with successful life experiences but also that SE increases with age, is lowest among adolescents,
and is gender specific (Mehdizadeh, 2010; Moksnes, & Espnes, 2013; Orth, Erol, & Luciano,
2018). Orth et al. (2018), for example, found that although self-esteem increases and decreased
over the lifespan, it remains constant among adolescents. They performed a meta-analysis study
that included data from over 164,000 research subjects. Orth and Luciano (2015), on the other
hand, noted that stressful experiences such as failing an exam and rejection by classmates or
social groups may lead to loss of confidence in one’s ability to socialize successfully and thus
low self-esteem occurs. Moksnes and Espnes (2013) discovered that males score higher than
females on self-esteem and life satisfaction measurement scales.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Digital Technology
Unlike studies that emphasized negative effects of digital technology on self-esteem (Błachnio,
Przepiorka, & Rudnicka, 2016; Hawi, Nazir, & Samaha, 2017; Mehdizadeh, 2010; Orth, &
Luciano, 2015; Vogel, Rose, Roberts, & Eckles, 2014), Gonzales and Hancock (2011) suggested
the opposite. In that, when social network subscribers view and update their profiles, add photos
and videos, and share other life events the experiences, in most instances, improve self-esteem
rather than diminish it because doing so enables them to compares themselves negatively or
positively to other end-users, which Gonzales and Hancock (2011) refer to as objective self-
awareness (OSA). It is relevant to note, however, that the OSA theory is an ongoing debate

2. because the “act of comparison” may cause individuals to feel inadequate or to experience
negative self-esteem (Gonzales, & Hancock, 2011). Similarly, Hawi et al. (2017) showed that
social media addiction (SMA) is more prevalent among females (68%) than males (62%). SMA
occurs when users’ behaviors become compulsory or an obsession (Andreassen, Torsheim,
Brunborg, & Pallesen, 2012; Griffiths, 2005; Perrin, 2015).
On the other hand, the premise that some individuals who experience low self-esteem problems
and who have fewer social relationships than most people use social network sites primarily to
improve their self-image and to make new friends has support from researchers including
Błachnio et al. (2016), Gonzales and Hancock (2011), and Mehdizadeh (2010).
In summary, literature regarding the development of self-esteem (either positive or negative)
dates to the 1800s (Baumeister et al, 2016; Baumeister et al.,1996; Ciarrochi, Heaven, & Davies,
2007; Osborne, 2018), and the effects that digital technology has on its development began
during the evolution of the Internet and the worldwide web (Cortada, 2017; Haigh, Russell, &
Dutton, 2015). Self-esteem refers to an objective or subjective evaluation about oneself. High
self-esteem correlates with positive feelings about successes in life, for example, and negative
attitudes about oneself usually correlates with low self-esteem (Baumeister et al., 2003; Ciarrochi
et al., 2007; Osborne, 2018).
References
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Baumeister, R. F., Campbell, J. D., Krueger, J. I., & Vohs, K. D. (2003). Does high self-esteem
cause better performance, interpersonal success, happiness, or healthier lifestyles? Psychological
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https://assets.csom.umn.edu/assets/71496.pdf.
Baumeister, R.F., Smart, L., & Boden, J.M. (1996). Relation of threatened egotism
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