Relationship between social media and self-esteem among young adults in Madina municipal assembly in Ghana

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between social media and self-esteem among young adults of Madina Municipal Assembly. Correlational research design was used which included 109 undergraduate student respondents. The instruments used were the Social Networking Addiction scale (Shahnawaz & Rehman, 2020) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale (1965). The data was collected and analysed using Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) Version 26. The Pearson chi-square test and the independent samples test were used in the analysis for the research. Findings revealed that groups with high or low self-esteem were not influenced by the amount of time spent on social media, one’s age does not influence the frequency of their social media use, and the frequency of social media use influences males and females of Madina in the same way. Recommendations made were that youth-centred research should be conducted to help prepare young adults mentally for the effects that accompany the use of social media. In addition, strategies for improving self-esteem should be introduced. Parents should also be encouraged to control or help manage their children’s social media usage in order for them to avoid repercussions when they become young adults or even older. This can be done by making their children aware of the long-term implications of using social media.