Navigating Social Media and Self-Esteem: An ACT-Based Approach for Adolescents
| dc.contributor.author | Biasini, Bianca | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-08-21T18:11:19Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-08-21T18:11:19Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-07-17 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Social media is an ingrained part of daily life across all age groups, including adolescents. While it offers benefits such as staying connected with friends and family, access to entertainment and the ability to find information quickly, frequent use has been linked to negative mental health outcomes. Current research largely highlights the overall impact of social media on adolescent mental health. However, there is a need for deeper exploration into its influence on self-esteem in particular, which is a critical factor in identity formation in adolescence. Understanding how social media influences self-esteem, particularly across genders, is essential for developing effective therapeutic approaches and better supporting adolescents with this presenting concern. This systematic review examines the relationship between social media use and adolescent selfesteem, focusing on areas such as body image, social relationships, and mood and well-being. The review also explores how gender influences both the ways in which adolescents engage with social media, and the ways they are affected by it. Finally, this paper proposes Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as a valuable modality for addressing self-esteem issues in adolescents impacted by social media use. ACT offers a framework for helping adolescent clients develop a healthier sense of self, as well as emotional regulation strategies in the digital age. These findings offer valuable insights for adolescents themselves, as well as aspiring and practicing clinicians, and the field of psychology as a whole. This knowledge can ultimately support adolescent development in an increasingly online world. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11803/4591 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher.institution | City University of Seattle (CityU) | |
| dc.rights | Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States | |
| dc.rights | openAccess | |
| dc.rights.uri | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/ | |
| dc.subject | adolescent | |
| dc.subject | self-esteem | |
| dc.subject | social media | |
| dc.subject | gender | |
| dc.subject | acceptance and commitment therapy | |
| dc.title | Navigating Social Media and Self-Esteem: An ACT-Based Approach for Adolescents | |
| dc.type | Capstone | |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Counselling | |
| thesis.degree.grantor | City University of Seattle (CityU) | |
| thesis.degree.level | Masters | |
| thesis.degree.name | Master of Counselling |
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