The Impact of Social Media Hostility on Womens Self-Esteem: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Communication and self-perception have been taken over by social media. Social media such as Instagram and YouTube enable individuals to exchange pictures, videos and remain in touch with one another with minimal effort. Although this may be empowering, women are usually subjected to hostility on the internet. Most of them are subjected to body shaming, sexualization, threats, and unconsented spread of intimate photos. The effects such experiences are likely to have include a severe damage to self-esteem and body image, which is usually underestimated. A qualitative research investigated the impact of online hostility on self-esteem of women. The semi-structured interviews with women who had encountered online aggression were conducted and themed data analyzed by researchers. The results indicated that the repetition of the negativity resulted in self-doubt, emotional distress, identity conflict, and withdrawal. The participants reported shame, lack of confidence and insecurity. Nevertheless, as numerous women were resilient despite such difficulties. They dealt with it by establishing online limits, blocking abusive individuals, reducing online interaction, finding allies, and affirming themselves. Nevertheless, resilience could not be cultivated automatically and had to be worked on. In general, the research points out the gendered aspect of online aggression and the psychological effects of such aggression. It brings out the importance of harsher digital laws, awareness campaigns, and easy access to mental health services to make online settings safer and friendlier to women.