Me, myself, and I: Self-presentation, self-esteem, and uses and gratifications on Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok

Empirical evidence has suggested a positive correlation between authentic self-presentation on social media and improved mental health and well-being. False self-presentation, conversely, may bring about negative outcomes to subjective and psychological well-being. Our study examines the different selves that users present, as well as factors influencing self-presentation, on social media platforms. Results from 392 survey responses suggest that, first, users present themselves differently on Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok; generally, they tend to present their real and ideal selves more than the false selves. Second, users seek significantly different uses and gratifications from different social media platforms (e.g., maintaining existing relationships on Facebook, meeting new people and socializing on LinkedIn, or entertainment purposes on TikTok); nevertheless, education and information is a common motivation for social media use. Third, social media uses and gratifications, social media usage, and self-esteem are influential factors of users’ self-presentation on social media. The dynamics of these influential factors, however, differ across platforms. Theoretical implications, as well as empirical suggestions to enhance the quality of social media interactions, are further discussed.