PSYC FPX 4210 assessment 2 Research Methodologies
Capella University
PSYC FPX4210 Cyberpsychology
Prof. Name
December, 2024
Abstract
PSYC FPX 4210 assessment 2 Social media sites are crucial for teenage identity development, an essential component of psychological growth at this age (Yang et al., 2021). Most teens also resort to social media as a place where they feel a desire to explore and express their upcoming sense of self in a way that may help them be unique. Science demonstrates that such applications as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat are self-presentation sites, where one develops a profile that portrays what the aspects of personal identity could or should be. This digital expression allows for the exploration of various roles and personas, with instant feedback in the form of likes, comments, and shares. Such experiences can reinforce self-esteem and affirmation of identity when the feedback is positive. However, the curated, idealized presentation of peers’ lives can also support social comparison, which may make individuals feel inadequate, anxious, and even depressed. Qualitative methods involving interviews, and focus groups, demonstrate that a teen’s view of herself online is as if she, yet admits to herself that the two images are, in fact, different. More to the point, quantitative methods, such as surveys, demonstrate the relationship between intense social media use and positive and negative identity outcomes and its moderation by gender, culture, and personality. Using mixed methods can provide a clearer understanding of how social media impacts adolescent identity in subtle ways that may promote discovery but also pose the risk of identity conflict or distortion.
Introduction
Social media has fundamentally changed how people, particularly adolescents, interact with the world around them. Today’s teenagers, as digital natives, are saturated in online spaces that provide critical contexts for communication, social interaction, and self-expression (José Manuel Muñoz-Rodríguez et al., 2021). Access and popularity have opened up opportunities for identity exploration in ways not possible before and central to adolescence. They can test their self-presentations to the world with the help of Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat and can connect with friends and search for validation. All of these can create their self. Social media provides unique opportunities for discovering the self but has its pitfalls: exposure to idealized images of others and pressures of an ideal online image. The relationship of the dynamics between social media and adolescent identity is complex and multi-faceted, which makes this issue worthwhile to explore further.
Cyberpsychology Research aims to describe the interaction between social media and development in adolescents through a comprehensive critical analysis of the psychological, social, and behavioral outcomes of social media use among adolescents (Dharejo et al., 2023). Researchers in methodologies have been investigating multiple online environments in how online environments shape identity, self-esteem, and emotional well-being. For example, qualitative studies are likely to focus on the opinions of teenagers on how they use online personas, while quantitative studies often report the trend of influence that social media use has on self-concept. Synthesizing the findings reflects that social media may work as both a facilitator and barrier for adolescents in their identity development depending upon usage patterns and individual characteristics. The current paper attempts to discuss dynamics as well as shed light upon the critical roles of social media in adolescent identities.
Psychological Perspectives in Cybersecurity
Using a variety of psychological approaches, one may explain how social media can or cannot influence the identity development of adolescents (Bates et al., 2019). According to Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory, during adolescence, one of the major stages is identity versus role confusion. Social media enables adolescents a playground to experiment with identity; the seeking of validation and negotiation over the challenging task of self-presentation might sometimes turn out positive-it gets enhanced self-esteem with likes or positive comments that form coherent self. Since, therefore, this process may be destabilized by induced role confusion or low self-esteem, negative interactions such as criticism or an online dispute can undermine it.
Another important theory that helps in understanding the impacts of social media on the identity of adolescents is the social comparison theory. Adolescents are always comparing themselves to their friends, famous people, or celebrities showcased on these platforms. Although upward comparisons, in which one views others as superior, can stimulate improvement of oneself, it often results in feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. This is particularly true in adolescents who are susceptible to peer pressure or have existing insecurities.
As conceptualized from the perspective of a self-determination theory perspective, social media may promote or interfere with intrinsic psychological needs about autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Therefore, authenticity may be at odds with some youths who are pressured to align with social norms or perfect images, while it enhances personal growth for others as it allows them to express their selves and establish meaningful interpersonal relationships. All of these psychological frameworks together point toward the double-edged role of social media in shaping adolescent identity, where one edge is the potential to grow and the other the threat of damage.
