Kristine Raymer

Date Approved

7-2-2015

Embargo Period

12-29-2015

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. School Psychology-Professional School Psychology

Department

Psychology

College

College of Science & Mathematics

Advisor

Dihoff, Roberta

Subject(s)

Online social networks; Self-esteem

Disciplines

Child Psychology | Student Counseling and Personnel Services

Abstract

With the advent of the Internet over a decade ago came the introduction of a new form of communication referred to as social networking. On-line social networking sites, such as Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter, have become increasingly popular and almost an integral part of everyday life, especially for college students. Approximately ninety percent of college students have a Facebook account, and it is estimated that the average amount of time spent on this social networking site ranges from thirty minutes to over two hours on a daily basis. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between on-line social networking sites, particularly Facebook, and the self-esteem levels of college students. According to past research, there appears to be a connection between more time spent online and a decline in face-to-face communication with family and peers, which leads to feelings of loneliness and depression (Chen & Lee, 2013). To test the effect Facebook interaction has on self-esteem, undergraduate students were asked to participate in an online, anonymous survey that consisted of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Body Esteem Scale, the Facebook Intensity Scale, and the Eating Attitudes Test-26. Data was analyzed using the bivariate correlation test and the independent samples T-test. The results of the data collection suggest that females spend more time on Facebook than males and have a larger amount of friends on Facebook than males. Results also indicated that females have lower body image satisfaction and a greater drive for thinness than males.

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