Introduction
The world is currently facing a major transformation in all the aspects of life. The way things operate in the world has become so different from the way it used to be several decades ago. As a result, the lifestyle and characters of individuals have gradually been modified to fit into the changes that we are currently experiencing.
There are several factors that have contributed to these changes that we are currently experiencing. Technology is one among the many factors that has contributed greatly to these changes that we are experiencing. To be specific to the context of this paper, social organizations and networks have taken over the lives of many individuals all around the world.
Social networks are virtual organizations in the internet that have been created with the use of sophisticated computer softwares and commands. These networks enable individuals to interact with each other irrespective of their physical location, culture, background and origin.
With the use of these networks, people can share a lot of information with their friends, create and interact with new friends and discuss about several issues of concern. All this is possible without having physical contact with one another. Examples of social networks include facebook, tweeter, linkedin, YouTube, MySpace and so on.
Due to the influence they have on the lives of individuals, social networks play a significant role in the determination of the psychological, cognitive and social development of an individual. In addition, they may influence positively or negatively the life on an individual. Due to this fact, the main aim of this paper it to determine the impacts that social networks have on people and the role they play in the determination of the self-esteem of an individual.
Social Networks and Self-Esteem
Self-Esteem is the manner in which an individual perceives himself or herself. It is dependent on a mix of factors such as self-confidence, individual trust and respect. All these factors develop as a result of the interaction that an individual has with others. Individuals who have positive relations with others normally tend to have a high self-esteem as compared to those who do not have positive relations with others.
In the modern world, social networks have become one of the main ways in which individuals relate to one another. It is through these networks that people make friends, communicate and relate with one another. As a result, these networks play a critical role in the daily life of an individual.
This is due to the influence that they have in the determination of the behaviour, character, personality and performance of an individual. The overall effect of these factors plays an important role in the determination of the self-esteem of an individual.
In many social networks, individuals share their profile, pictures and personal information with their friends and other people who are members of the network. There are instances that people get positive feedback on their profiles, personal information or the pictures that they have uploaded.
Such positive feedback makes an individual to feel good and respected among his peers. Due to this fact, his morale and self-esteem increase. It will therefore be much easier for such an individual to interact with others, make friends, continue to be more active in the social network and in real life.
On the other hand, there are those individuals who do not get as much reviews in their profile as they expected. Such individuals tend to have few friends or followers on the social networks that they have subscribed to. In addition, there may be instances of negative feedback on their profile.
It will thus be difficult for such an individual to interact with individuals in social networks and in real life. The negative feedback that he/she got from social networks may be a great blow to his confidence and self-esteem. As a result, such an individual is likely to have a low self-esteem.
However, there are those social networks that work to improve on the self-esteem of their members. Such networks are formed by individuals who have something in common. This could be either race, culture, profession, character or behaviour.
Such individuals therefore address the common issues or challenges that they may be facing and come up with means through which they can solve such problems. The overall outcome of such forums is the rejuvenation of confidence and self-esteem of the members. By facing the issues together, such individuals feel wanted and respected by the society, something that every individual yearns for.
Conclusion
Social networks have taken over the manner in which individuals interact in the modern world. They have also made people to communicate and link up with anyone in the globe irrespective of their culture, physical location, age, sex or race. As a result, they play a significant role in the determination of the performance and character of an individual.
Moreover, they greatly influence the self-esteem of an individual, depending on the interaction an individual has in the network. It is therefore essential for people to determine the goals and objectives that they want to achieve before joining any social network to avoid any disappointments and to ensure that their self-esteem is kept at a desirable level.