Full metadata
Title
Is Social Media Prolonging Identity Commitment? The Effects of Social Media Use on Adolescent Identity Formation
Description
Given the emergence of social media over the past decade and its popularity with adolescents, understanding its impact on this population is crucial to investigate. The purpose of this thesis was to identify potential links between social media use, identity formation, self-esteem, and social comparison motives. The first hypothesis proposed a positive association between passive social media use and identity moratorium, diffusion, and distress. The second hypothesis suggested self-esteem would mediate this relationship. The final hypothesis posited that the social comparison motives of self-destruction and self-evaluation would exacerbate negative influences of social media use on self-esteem and identity, while self-enhancement and self-improvement motives would buffer them. Two studies were conducted, one observational with 568 participants and one experimental with 15 participants. The first study found active social media use significantly predicted identity diffusion and distress, whereas the second study determined passive social media use led to identity distress. Self-esteem was not found to mediate either relationship. Finally, self-destruction, self-enhancement, self-evaluation, and self-improvement all had differing moderating effects on social media use and the distinct identity outcomes and self-esteem. These results introduce a new concern for late adolescents still developing their identities who utilize social media, as having an online presence can further impede commitment to an identity.
Date Created
2022
Contributors
- Caldera, Karla (Author)
- Mickelson, Kristin D (Thesis advisor)
- Hall, Deborah (Committee member)
- DeLay, Dawn (Committee member)
- Arizona State University (Publisher)
Topical Subject
Resource Type
Extent
99 pages
Language
eng
Copyright Statement
In Copyright
Primary Member of
Peer-reviewed
No
Open Access
No
Handle
https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.2.N.168775
Level of coding
minimal
Cataloging Standards
Note
Partial requirement for: M.S., Arizona State University, 2022
Field of study: Psychology
System Created
- 2022-08-22 07:06:57
System Modified
- 2022-08-22 07:07:22
- 2 years 2 months ago
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