ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the social media use of young men and young women, and found subtle differences in how gender and social media use are related to self-esteem and life satisfaction. Social media have become ubiquitous in the lives of many people in developed nations. Early theorizing of social media’s possible effects argued that online activity might reduce young adults’ social connectedness and psychological well-being. The chapter examines the relationship between overall social media use and self-esteem and life satisfaction utilizing two separate hierarchical multiple regressions. In the context of young women and social media, the findings suggest that certain kinds of social media use, coupled with lower reported self-esteem, may negatively influence young women’s well-being. Young adults are using social media more than any other age cohort. The chapter considers whether social media self-presentation and social comparison affected women and men differently in terms of their self-esteem and life satisfaction.
