Self-Esteem and Social MediaSocial media has invaded the world of communication and changed the way we communicate on a daily basis. This has an extremely important influence on our lives because of the ease with which we can access these means of communication. I'm intrigued by the effects of social media on people's perceptions of their self-worth. Almost all social networking sites seem to measure, at least to some extent, the level of popularity or status of their users. All have a certain number of "followers" or "friends" which, if there is a high number of followers or friends, seems to raise a person's level of popularity or online status. This in turn could increase their self-esteem or ego, while if their following level is low, it could disappoint or aggravate that user. All of these sites also provide areas where followers can “like” photos or posts, “comment” on those photos/posts, “share” the post, and so on. How important are “likes” and so on to our real self-esteem? Do we value online popularity the same or more than real-life interactions? How could this affect the mental health of those who use these networking sites? Does this type of online community promote more narcissistic people in the community? So many questions... I'm not the only one asking these questions. I am convinced that social media has a negative influence on the self-esteem of its users. The University of Salford in the UK conducted a study last year on the effects of social media on self-esteem and anxiety, and reported that 50% of their 298 participants said their "use social networks like Facebook and Twitter make their lives worse.” (Medical Daily) The study also reported that participants reported...... middle of article...... artin's, 2013. N. pag. PrintHenderson, J. Maureen. (07/11/12). Is social media destroying your self-esteem? Forbes. From http://www.forbes.com/sites/jmaureenhenderson/2012/07/11/is-social-media-destroying-your-self-esteem/Selfie-Loathing: Here's Why Instagram Is Even More Depressing Than Facebook. Slate Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2013/07/instagram_and_self_estimate_why_the_photo_sharing_network_is_even_more_depressing.htmlFacebook and social media activity reflects self-esteem, study finds. Medical Daily. Retrieved from http://www.medicaldaily.com/facebook-and-social-media-activity-reflects-self-esteem-study-finds-256832Facebook Envy: How Social Media Affects Our Self-Esteem. Facebook Envy How the social network affects our self-esteem. Retrieved from http://www.wbur.org/2013/02/20/facebook-perfection