Social media has been creating a negative influence on the self-esteem of women, but there is hope for more positive influences.

The left is a picture seen on Pinterest, and the right is a picture
 taken from a user who tried to imitate what they saw.

With societies growing use and dependence on social media, it is expected that we would begin to see some of the positive and negative impacts. One of the most prevalent issues regarding the social impacts of social media, is its threat to the self-esteem of women users. A study by TODAY Moms reports that of 7000 women users surveyed, 41 percent have experienced stress from Pinterest. This stress isn't from technical issues with the site or the site content, but it is caused by the fact that they feel as though they cannot compete with the creativity and execution of other users on the site. This stress to act and look a certain way is not confined to Pinterest.com, but it is induced by almost all social media sites.

Women are more dependent and likely to be social media users than men.  

Bar graph showing that women use most sites more than men

Before understanding the effects of social media on a women, it is important to understand why women are such heavy users. A recent study by Pew research found that women are higher users of Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr. The content on these social media sites tend to be geared more towards women, which could be a reason for their high participation.

Women not only use social media as a means of communication, but they also use it to see what their friends are doing. They use it to keep up with the latest trends and look into the lives of others in the community. These facts could be incredibly beneficial for both women and society, but generally it has a large potential to be more damaging than good.


Social media encourages women to strive to be something that they're not and highlights on their insecurities.

The beauty of social media is that it is all controlled behind a screen and key board. Users have the power to construct their profiles any way that they like. They can upload any pictures and content they wish with just the click of a button. Rashanta Bledman, Ph.D., counselor specializing in body image at UMD, agrees that photos and other content on social media tends to have a negative impact on women and especially young girls. She mentions a tension regarding the appearance of women, especially the pressure surrounding weight. 

 
Much research has gone into the media portrayal of women in ads, magazines and movies. The use of Photoshop to enhance a celebrity's appearance has been heavily critiqued and widely disapproved by society. Many campaigns are being promoted by big companies, like Dove, to capture the real beauty of women, while exposing the excessive use of Photoshop in the media. But what many fail to recognize is how this translates into the world of social media. Now advertising companies aren't the only ones to use Photoshop. Now, young girls use Photoshop to edit photos of themselves to hide their insecurities. They can make themselves look 5 pounds lighter, tanner and brighter.  An article from the Huffington Post says, "A girl's social networking profile is a persona she constructs, a photoshopped billboard on the information superhighway." 

When photos are posted to social media sites like Facebook, it is easily accessible for others to  view. So when women upload these photoshopped pictures of themselves, they are sharing that image with many other women. Similarly to advertisements, there is a consequential affect on the self-esteem of women. It shows an ideal that is practically impossible to naturally achieve. This is different than if they were looking at a picture of a celebrity. These fake images are of their friends, which makes the affect all the more personal. It is a direct threat to a viewers self-esteem because it stirs thoughts of inferiority, jealousy and insecurity. It encourages these woman to be in a constant state of competition, with themselves and with other women. 

An example of this would be from Tumblr. Tumblr is a social site that allows people to create their 

Left photo is a young girl before it was edited, and the
right is the photo posted onto Tumblr after editing.

own personalized blogs made up of pictures, quotes, text, videos and more. Like twitter, a user can follow and repost content by other users. Recently, there has been a rise in popular female users who post pictures of their style and lives. These "Tumblr girls" have been the center of attention on the site and have gained hundreds of thousands of followers. Many young girls that use the site have been influenced by that culture and strive to be like these "Tumblr girls." A wikiHow page even gives women steps on how to achieve the fame and the look. Not surprisingly, one of the steps mentions using Photoshop to edit the photo in order to achieve a flawless appearance. 

The effect that social media has women can be so detrimental that it leads to dangerous consequences, like bullying.

Once women fail to achieve these unwritten standards on social media, it has the potential to create a very severe emotional impact. Cyber bullying has been a huge issue with social media in recent years. Research shows that girls are both larger victims and instigators of cyber bullying than boys. In a study of 1000 young women, 94 percent believed that social media makes it easy for girls to torment or bully one another. Social media and its content offer a platform for people to bully others without dealing with the consequences of their actions. 

A screen capture from Amanda's video

In September of 2012, a video of a young woman holding hand-written note cards went viral. Her name was Amanda Todd and she was only 15 years old when she posted the video. She was telling her story through a series of note cards. For the past year she had been intensely bullied through Facebook. A man had distributed a nude photo of her  to all her friends and peers through the social networking site. This led to an outbreak of bullying, both in person and online. People would post mocking photos imitating her on the site and left graphic threats on her Facebook wall. Even strangers were able to leave hate-filled comments for her to read. Social media was her source of torment; she was left with no self-esteem. Later that year, the torment got so overwhelming that she took her life.

This is the sad truth of social media. It opens the doors to a whole new type of danger society had never dealt with in the past.

Companies and citizens are taking the steps to create positive influences on social media.

Although there are many negative consequences of social media, there is still hope. Rashanta Bledman believes that it starts with those who recognize the problem. Those are the people that can move towards using social media as a positive place. 




A study of 1000 young girls showed that 87 percent of them believed that social media sites have the power to fight against negative issues of self-esteem and bullying. There are tons of groups on sites like Facebook, that are meant to empower women, and create a safe place for women to interact. For example, Secret (Women's deodorant brand), created a campaign called "Mean Stinks." Throughout this campaign they use sites like Facebook and Youtube to bring awareness to issues surrounding women and social media.

In this way women can choose to fight against the effects social media may have on their self-esteem. It is a way to use social media in a healthy and meaningful way. 

listen to ‘Social media and women's self-esteem’ on Audioboo

Social media sites spread both positive and negative influence to women.

listen to ‘Social media effects on women’ on Audioboo

Over the past years the use of social media sites and apps have shot up. After much research, it has been shown that women have a higher percentage of social media users than men. It also shows that they have a stronger attachment with these social media platforms than men. With this recent observation, it is very important to see the influences that social media inflicts onto its female users.

Shows how women are more active on social media sites

There is already much discussion on how the media effect the self-esteem of women. For instance, the portrayal of women in advertisements, movies, and television is criticized. Yet we have yet to have much discussion on the effects of social media. Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram are some of the top most accessed and influential social media sites by women of all ages.

There can be both negative and positive to women. The fact that there are constant images of women, whether they are real or ideal, plastered all over these sites could be a potential hazard to a woman's self-esteem. It could encourage women to compare themselves with other women; not just with appearance, but also regarding social status and relationships. However, social media could also create healthy conversations between women that give them a sense of belonging or safety.

This is a relevant topic regarding public relations because it shows how important the influence of social media is to its audience. By understanding this research, companies can begin to market in a positive and sensitive way in regards to their female customers. They can see what content has the most influence, and use that to their advantage.

Kendall and Kylie Jenner use Twitter to dispel rumors in the media, and to show the world their "real" selves.

Over the past 3 years, the Kardashian family has blown up in popularity and attention. They are constantly on the covers of magazines, television ads, and even have their own show on the E! Network. Kim, Chloe, and Courtney are the main characters in their reality TV show, Keeping Up With The Kardashians. The show focuses on their everyday lives and drama surrounding the family. Their mother, Kris Jenner, has two daughters with her, now divorced, husband Bruce Jenner. The appearance of these two girls caught the attention of many views. Kendall is 17 years old, and Kylie is 16. At such a young age these girls were thrust into the spotlight for all of America, and the rest of the world, to see.

The media starts rumors of Kendall and Kylie partying and drinking underage with fake IDs.

On October 15, 2013, paparazzi spotted Kedall and Kylie Jenner entering a night club while using fake IDs. Not only was it a 21-and-over club, but that night was supposedly sex-themed and included nudity.  The media had a field day with this news which led to more outrageous accusations. With the recent split of their parents, some reported that the girls were partying to deal with the stress. Others accused them of drug abuse and driving while under the influence of alcohol. To the public, this is most definitely not a scene that should include a 17 or 16 year old. The reporters even went as far as to blame their parents and created even more fabricated tension between the newly divorced couple. Fans took to twitter to question the girls about the rumors, and some even displayed being let down by the girls. 


Kendall and Kylie rant on twitter about the media's ridiculous accusations.

Almost a week after the night at the club, Kylie and Kendall both used their twitters to assure audiences and fans that the media was fabricating the story. Apparently, both girls went to the club as an after party for a fashion show they were paid to attend. They were with their family, did not have fake IDs, and did not drink any alcohol. The effect that these rumors had on these girls was clear after reading their, very disgruntled, tweets. To them, it was insulting to publish stories that made them seem like Hollywood train wrecks. Kendall even tweets, "we're smarter than that, we have goals and personally I think it's sad that some people sit at their desk making things up." They used twitter to address the rumors spreading in the media, and to keep the media from destroying their image.


The girls use twitter to update followers on their lives and shines a light on their happiness.

Aside from addressing the media, they use Twitter just like every other teenage girl. Tweeting about frozen yogurt, puppies, and music; it helps people remember that even though they are celebrities, they are still average teenagers. Amiss all the scandals surrounding themselves and their family, Kendall and Kylie constantly tweet pictures of themselves looking happy and bright. They tweet to inspire girls to be confident. They generally get a positive response from their followers and have many that look up to them.

Both the media and Twitter offer views of Kendall and Kylie that must all be taken with a grain of salt.

While the media portrayal of Kendall and Kylie are a stark contrast to their innocent personas on Twitter, it is important to note that there is bias on both ends. The media will obviously exaggerate certain facts and manipulate stories in order to get people to read their content. However, Kendall and Kylie could also be using their Twitters to get people to think better of them, for the sake of their own reputations. 

The media portrays Kendall and Kylie as wild, spoiled teenagers that took advantage of their fame. While their Twitter accounts tell us that they are innocent and determined girls that are great role models to younger girls. The difference in these two portrayals is incredibly wide and so both sources are not the most reliable when looking for unbiased opinions. 

Digital rights management seems to be faulty at protecting copyrighted material as digital piracy continues to rise and users push for DRM free content.

The Digital Rights Management, or DRM, is an attempt at restricting access of copyrighted material. DRM removes usage control after the user purchases the content, through security codes and various technological restrictions. DRM is used to restrict the user from copying, sharing and printing content. This content includes movies, video games, software, music, eBooks and much more. 

While DRM does take the initiative to protect the copyrighted material for the content producer, it is possible that it may cause adverse effects on the users. It creates tension between the producer and consumer. Some may even argue that it give studios the right to treat consumers as criminals. Generally, DRM protected files cannot be transferred between devices and usually requires a specialized player; creating a grave inconvenience to a paying customer.

Not only does DRM create an incentive for people to break the rules, it also is incredibly common for it to be hacked. One man even created a lego contraption to hack into Kindle eBook security. Pirated content, like movies or shows, almost never require navigation through DRM in order to view it. There are now special players and software that accommodate for pirated content and provide no play-back errors. 

A study by the US TV network NBC Universal "estimates that in January 432 million people accessed copyright infringing material and in the process of doing so consumed a rather substantial 9,567 petabytes of data." This means that almost a quarter of all internet traffic is attributed to digital piracy. Clearly there are loop holes in digital rights management that have yet to be addressed. 

Despite these loop holes, industries are still increasing the security and DRM on certain content. The creator of the world wide web and director of the web standards body W3C, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, has publicly supported measures to embed digital rights management in HTML5. Him and others like him have proposed to add encrypted media extensions that would provide a hook for DRM-protected content within the new HTML code. Their overall goal is to cut the means of piracy and by doing this, they wish to avoid content being completely removed from the internet by its creators because it is too often being pirated.

Not surprisingly, there has been much disapproval from media users. Some argue that it is another way for the media industry to try and control its users. It shows who is really in charge of your web experience. Many believe that the internet is a place for sharing not for restrictions.

The controversy over DRM is still very prevalent today as more and more copyrighted content is continuously being produced. Should these companies continue to lace their products in security codes or will piracy always find a loop hole?

Students have increased their dependence on media, in some cases to a point of addiction.

Try to find any college student without a smart phone or laptop. You will find that it is nearly impossible.

College students have become more and more dependent on the media.

As student we feel an attachment to the media. It runs into almost all aspects of our lives. We can't go a whole day without checking our Facebook updates or scrolling through Reddit. We think without media, it would be impossible to get an A in the class. Without media, we can't communicate with our friends or the rest of the world. Without media, we can't properly function as a member of society.

Our dependence on media is evident and can even reach a point of addiction. Some may say media addiction doesn't exist or that the phrase is over-dramatizing the situation. But what is an addiction? Google defines it as being "physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable to stop taking it without incurring adverse effects." I have had firsthand experience of these "adverse effects."

This past spring I chose to give up Facebook for Lent. Lent lasts for 40 days and just after 14 days I started to get anxious. I felt like I was missing out. My friends would talk about events that I was oblivious to and photos that were blind to me. The uneasy feeling just increased and after about 25 days I gave in. It wasn't even a conscious decision, but I found myself scrolling down my newsfeed one day in class. So from my very personal experience I sympathize with those who say we can be addicted to media.

Clearly any sort of addictions should not be brushed under the rug. It is important that schools implement certain rules to help their students use media in a healthy way. For instance, instead of allowing students to use laptops during lecture, the professor should be able to block sites or tasks that do not pertain to the course. This way media is used as a tool and not a distraction.

While over exposure to media can be addictive, if administered correctly, the right dose could be incredibly beneficial.

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/Brunch/Brunch-Stories/Internet-Addiction/Article1-1118405.aspx

Passive mediums of media have a greater effect on users than more active mediums.

It is a well-known fact that humans are able to absorb massive amounts of information being thrown at them, even if they are not conscious of it. We are constantly exposed to media in many different forms, some passive and some interactive. 
Passive mediums are forms of media that can only be consumed. The biggest and most widely experienced medium of this sort would be the television. Watching TV requires no real effort from the user. We sit, we listen and we watch. Some may watch while eating, others may keep it on as background noise, either way it leaves a significant impact on the viewer. 
More interactive mediums of media are ones that physically engage the viewer along with consumption. A common example of this would be video games. Video games need the constant engagement and response of the viewer in order for the user to understand the content.
It can be conceived that video games have a greater effect on users because they are controlling what they are being exposed to. But I would say that is why television has such a greater effect. Video game users are only exposed to the game itself. They consciously control the moves they will make and they are aware of what is happening. On the other hand television viewers are being effected without being aware of it. They are exposed to hundreds of advertisements, which many try to tune out or ignore. Yet how many times have you caught yourself singing along to a cheesy "freecreditreport.com" jingle? Television plays a much larger part in our lives than we suspect. 
It is important to note that these mediums are not necessarily a direct cause of user actions. But they are more like symptoms to of their actions.

Sources: http://contently.com/strategist/2012/09/06/understanding-active-vs-passive-media-the-road-out-of-marketing-hell/

Pavlik, John V., and Shawn Mcintosh. Converging Media. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2011. 445. Print.

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