Social Media and Self-Esteem

Research suggests that social media algorithms may create unhealthy, negative social comparison by encouraging users to depict perfect versions of their lives. When young people see heavily curated content, especially those enhanced by app features, they can turn that criticism inward. As a result, their self-esteem may suffer. This is just one of many dangers of social media for youth.

Features like beauty filters and endless scrolling are designed to keep young people hooked to the platform. Apps encourage use for hours, trapping users in a cycle they can’t get out of.

Low self-esteem

Many adolescents who struggle with social media use end up struggling with low self-esteem. Low self-esteem can lead to feelings of worthlessness. It’s often a cause of depression. Critically, a young person’s self-esteem is more vulnerable than an adult’s. Research shows that humans tend to compare themselves to others to determine their social standing and abilities. Social media is a convenient way to measure these standings.

Healthy self-esteem

Research shows that healthy self-esteem improves relationships, work fulfillment and mental and physical health. The benefits are the same regardless of race, gender and ethnicity.

People with healthy self-esteem feel good about themselves. They are proud of what they can do, can cope with mistakes and are more willing to try again when they fail. Studies suggest that young people who report higher self-esteem function better at school, at home and with friends.

Multiple studies from the past decade have shown how teen social media use can lead to lower self-esteem. In February 2026, Child Mind Institute published an article suggesting that social media:

• Allows kids to be cruel to each other, creating opportunities to damage each other’s self-esteem
• Functions the same way polling data does for a politician, prompting kids to spend time refining their public image
• Encourages kids to project an idealized image rather than their authentic self, making it hard for them to feel good about themselves

For parents, it’s important to understand how these apps function to know what children are being exposed to on a daily basis.
 

Each social media app has unique features that, when in use, may negatively impact users’ self-esteem.

• Instagram: Some Instagram features, such as photo editing, engagement functions and continuous scroll, affect self-esteem. Research shows that spending large amounts of time on Instagram may harm the self-esteem of women and teen girls, in particular.
• Snapchat: Snapchat features like Charms and filters can contribute to low self-esteem. While charms reward users for engagement on the app, filters create unrealistic, idealized images. Both of these features can especially be harmful to young children whom the app is popular with.
• Facebook: Recent research found that Facebook’s news feed encourages social comparison that lowers self-esteem and increases depression.
• YouTube: The autoplay feature may foster compulsive use and increase time spent on the site. These YouTube features may also warp users’ perceptions of their body image leading to low self-esteem.
• TikTok: Problematic features on TikTok include filters and continuous scrolling. Both have been linked to memory impairment, difficulty retaining information and poor mental health.

Parents and others are filing lawsuits against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, and other platforms for causing mental health harm.

Parents need to be aware of self-esteem issues in their children. A child may be suffering from low self-esteem if they:

• Seem unsure of themselves
• Hesitate to join in because they think others won’t accept them
• Allow others to treat them poorly
• Need validation from social media engagement

Experts recommend that parents boost a child’s self-esteem by:

• Not minimizing or trivializing their experiences on (and reactions to) social media
• Encouraging them to take a social media break (or taking one as a family)
• Modeling a healthy response to failure
• Praising their efforts, no matter the outcome

If your child has suffered from the negative effects of social media use, including low self-esteem, a pediatric psychologist or other mental health professional may be able to help. Some parents have chosen to file lawsuits on behalf of their children who’ve suffered similar harms.

Self-esteem and other harms named in social media lawsuits

Self-esteem issues are just one of many harms cited in social media lawsuits. Other related injuries include:

• Anxiety disorders
• Depressive disorders
• Disruptive behavior, poor impulse control and other conduct disorders
• Eating disorders
• Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders
• Self-harm
• Sleep disorders
• Suicidal ideation
• Suicide
• Trauma and stressor-related disorders

Our attorneys can help determine your eligibility for a social media lawsuit. They understand state and federal laws and statutes of limitations. They can help you gather relevant information to file a claim and will also support you throughout the entire legal process.

Motley Rice attorneys have worked for decades fighting for families. Our experience includes representing people suing tech companies over harm they’ve suffered. You may be eligible to sue if you believe you or your child experienced the following due to social media:

• Attempted or died by suicide
• Received treatment for self-harm
• Received a diagnosis of a mental health disorder from a healthcare professional

If you believe these conditions were caused or worsened by social media and you need help filing a lawsuit for social media harm, please contact us. Your well-being is important to our team.

Learn more about filing a social media lawsuit.