An exploration of the impacts of Facebook on emerging adults

Abstract

‘Facebook’ has become very popular as it provides the opportunity to share, post, give and receive feedback. Emerging adulthood is a very important phase where people experience a lot of changes and can be influenced by various factors. In this study, six undergraduate students attending the University of Malta were interviewed with the aim of understanding their experience on Facebook and how they perceive the impact it has on their self-esteem. This qualitative study applies the Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis in order to understand the participants’ experiences. The main themes which were outlined were; connectivity, the reflection of one’s true self online, the need to feel accepted, the curating of the online image; comparisons with online personas and the perceived impact of Facebook on their self-esteem. Connectivity was outlined to be very important for the participants in this research, as it helps them maintain their relationships. Most of the participants feel that they need to show their true self online by posting things that reflect who they are in real life. The need for validation and reassurance through likes and feedback given on Facebook emerged strongly. Participants also gave a lot of importance to their online image. The way they perceive that Facebook has influenced them varies amongst the participants within this research. This research concluded that there are several factors that could influence self esteem and Facebook is one of them, but its impact is not straightforward. This study is important within the social work profession, as this study is crucial in helping social workers better understand what factors may be contributing to the influencing of their clients’ self esteem.