It has recently struck me how much social media now has links to students' self-esteem. This self-esteem-social-media relationship doesn't just affect students, either. A quick google search uniting "self-esteem" and "social media" produces a mass array of articles, some of them scholarly, postulating on the connection between the two with primarily negative results.
Facebook is the prime perpetrator of causing low self-esteem. One article notes that Facebook's often "picture-perfect images can be especially difficult for teenagers to grapple with because they’re often hyper-conscious of measuring up to their peers. It’s a tender and critical stage in life — a time for forming an understanding of who you are." Teenagers need affirmation, and they're looking to Facebook to provide it. But Facebook is a poor giver of encouragement.
How does this phenomenon affect us as teachers? We need to realize how much social media can affect students' moods, from euphoria to depression. Perhaps social media is creating a gap in our society in which we expect it to provide feel good comments which we would otherwise require from others. While students certainly spend mass quantities of time utilizing social media, they spend even more time in the classroom. Maybe teachers should pick up where social media often leaves off. Students still need teachers to care for them, and a timely word from a teacher can make all the difference in the world. Never forget to encourage your students.
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