Life Filtered: Social Media and Perceptions of Self
Open Access
Author:
Duke, Emily E
Area of Honors:
Advertising/Public Relations
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Michel M Haigh, Thesis Supervisor Michel M Haigh, Thesis Honors Advisor Dr. Susan Mary Strohm, Faculty Reader
Keywords:
Facebook Instagram social media self-esteem neuroticism Duke public relations online
Abstract:
The primary purpose of this study was to examine the social media habits of young people ages 18-25 and how their behaviors on Facebook and Instagram affect their perceptions of self. Specifically, the study aimed to investigate the relationship between time spent viewing friends’ photos on Facebook and Instagram, and increased levels of fear of missing out, neuroticism, and decreased levels of self-esteem. A survey was conducted using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk in addition to snowball sampling. The study did not find the factors of neuroticism, self-esteem, or fear of missing out to be significant, however, results showed participants took many measures to exercise control over how they were perceived on their Facebook and Instagram pages—filtering the content reflective of their lives both literally and figuratively.
