Social Networking Websites Research Presentation By: Mackenzie Edwards

Why did I chose this topic? – I tried to find a topic that I could write a lot about. Something that is interesting to me, something that affects a large amount of people and something I am personally affected by so I would be able to give my insight about it. – Social networking sites interest me because they are something I am personally affected by with the amount of time I use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I also was compelled to write about this because our current generation seems to be forming their lives around them.

Research Question and Answer What impact do social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have on their users’ self-esteem? Unlike the popular belief, social networking sites negatively impact users self-esteem.

How did I gather my information? I used Google to search for information using key terms to narrow my search, linking social networking websites and self esteem. If I read something I found helpful that would support my claim or the opposing argument I would check the credibility of the source. I made sure the source was either from a.org, news station or scholarly article. If the source was none of the above I would look up background information on the author to check the credibility.

Research Results Most of the evidence I found supported my claim. I tried to balance my essay by having an even amount of evidence that supported my claim and went against it so the essay did not seem biased. But even though there were many sources supporting that social networking sites improve self esteem, every source I found had the same reason for why social networking sites improved self-esteem. While the multiple sources I found that said social networking has a negative impact on self-esteem had many more reasons to support their view.

Research Findings These two sources were used for the “they said” part in my essay. In an article in Purdue University’s newspaper the Purdue Exponent, columnist Silvia Son refutes the claim that social networking sites lower its users’ self esteem. She supports her rebuttal with insight from a Cornell professor, Jeffery Hancock, who conducted a study finding Facebook to be beneficial to the psychological well being of its users. “Users can choose what they reveal about themselves and filter anything that might reflect badly,” said Hancock (qtd.in Son). Son and Hancock believe that social network users’ self- esteems are positively impacted by exposure to these sites because they feel they are able to control how people view them; making them feel more secure with their image.

Research Findings Continued The rest of the slides will show sources that support and agree with my thesis. In a KGW news report Keely Chalmers looks into the effect of social networking sites on teenage depression and interviews a child/adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Ken Ensroth. In the interview he said,“ It’s very easy to compare yourself to others when you just see what they show on their Facebook page which may or may not match reality” (qtd. in Chalmers). Ensroth discuses how people with pre-existing self esteem issues are likely to become depressed from comparing themselves to other users.

Research Findings Continued Tom Pick’s article on Jeffbullas.com, a blog previously published in the New York Times, claims that there are around 1 million active users on Twitter that log in at least one time per day (Pick). Here I talked about how the amount of time users spend on social networking sites can affect self-esteem and I used this statistic to give credibility to the correlation between social networking sites and self esteem. That because we spend so much time on social networking sites it has a greater impact on our self esteem.

Research Findings Continued Saul Mcleod, the author of simplypsychology.org and Psychology professor at Wigan and Leigh College explains the world-renowned psychologist, Burrhus Frederic Skinner’s term- operant conditioning; “Changing of behavior by the use of reinforcement which is given after desired response”(qtd. in Mcleod). Mcleod talks about the types of operant conditioning and how positive reinforcement strengthens a behavior. Here I used the description of operant conditioning to show the affects of continuous exposure to social networking sites on our brain.

Research Findings Continued In a study shown on socialnetworking.pro/con.org statistics reveal that social networking sites can cause psychological disorders and damage to the brain. Social networking sites have caused its users to feel insecure, “The use of social networking sites can cause personality and brain disorders in children, such as the inability to have real conversations, limited attention spans, a need for instant gratification, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and self- centered personalities” (Procon). Procon.org’s points concede that self-esteem can be lowered if constant positive reinforcement is not immediately given. Social networking sites can give a user high self-esteem if they are positively reinforced but when they are not constantly receiving the reinforcement their emotions are toyed with and can ultimately result in low confidence.

Research Findings Continued A Fox News article reports a 2007 cyber-bullying incident on MySpace that resulted in a teenager’s suicide (Fox News). I used this source as an example of a time when social networking sites were involved in a teens suicide due to lowered self esteem and feelings of little self worth.

Research Findings Continued Statistics from Toptenreviews.com report these sites are not always used for what they were intended for. “29% of teens have posted mean info, embarrassing photos or spread rumors about someone”(Top ten reviews). I used this statistic to wrap up my paper and conclude that overall the effect social networking sites have on self esteem is more negative than positive.

Bibliography Chalmers, Keely, perf. Social media creates new teen ailment -- 'Facebook depression'. Perf. Ensrothh Web. 12 Nov McLeod, S. A. (2007). B.F. Skinner | Operant Conditioning. Web. 12 Nov Pick, Tom. "72 Fascinating Social Media Marketing Facts and Statistics for 2012." Jeffbullas.com. N.p.. Web. 14 Nov Silvia, Son. "Social networking boosts confidence." Exponent [Indianappolis] , n. pag. Web. 12 Nov “Social Networking” Procon.org. n.d. 25 Oct Web 11 Nov Thomas, Taylor. "30 Statistics about Teens and Social Networking.” Toptenreviews.com. N.p.. Web. 13 Nov 2012.