Social media is popular among youths globally as a way of communicating and accessing information. For Kuwaiti adolescent youths, logging into social media platforms is a daily activity that is now part of their lives. Instagram is the most popular social network, such as Facebook, Pinterest, WhatsApp, and Twitter (Keles et al., 2019). Instagram impacts the lives of Kuwait students who become addicted to the platform and adjust to the life they expose themselves to on Instagram. The adjustment due to social media exposure significantly impacts the individuals leading to addiction and other mental disabilities. This study will assess the impact of social media on youth’s self-esteem and help design a way of getting a positive influence from what they come across on the social media platforms. Besides, the study will explore the impact of social media and reveal the possible ways to resolve the social media addiction issues affecting the youth.
The study will take place in Kuwait, and it will involve an online survey sent to students on Instagram, Twitter, and WhatsApp. A robust infrastructure to enroll the students at the high school level in the study region will include numerous cohort stratifications based on gender, age, and Instagram usage. Data collected using an online survey will help identify the peer counselors and youth leaders who will guide the students through the tempting times in their lifetime. This study will address the global problem affecting the youth’s mental health and provide possible solutions to boost self-esteem and avoid unnecessary pressure in life. Work by Keles, McCrae, & Grealish., 2019 indicates that exposure to social media affects the way the youths behave when they become adults. The study hypothesis is that there is a positive correlation between social media Instagram addiction and decreased self-esteem among Kuwaiti school-going youth.
Reference
Keles, B., McCrae, N., & Grealish, A. (2019). A systematic review: the influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 25(1), 79-93.