A Phenomenological Examination of Social Media's Impact on Traditional College and University Students' Low Self-Perception and Anxiety in the University System of Georgia

Elevated levels of anxiety and negative self-perceptions among traditional college students in the University System of Georgia are due to social media interactions. Social media usage among traditional college students is nearly ubiquitous. Social media causes unease, nervousness, or worry as a natural response to perceived environmental, emotional, or physical threats. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to discover how social media contributes to anxiety and negative self-perceptions for traditional college students in the University System of Georgia. Cooley's looking-glass self-theory provided the theoretical framework for the study. Phenomenological research designs explore the lived experiences of individuals experiencing the phenomenon of interest and how individuals derive meaning from those experiences. Participants were a purposeful sample of 12 traditional college students in the University System of Georgia. Participants met the following inclusion criteria: traditional college students between 18 and 23 years old and active on at least one social media platform. Data were collected through Zoom interviews and a focus group. Data was analyzed using thematic interpretative phenomenological analysis procedures. All 12 participants reported using social media for at least 2 hours per day, and experienced feelings of depression and sadness, which caused sufficient distress for them to require breaks. Traditional college students in the University System of Georgia perceived social media use as contributing to heightened anxiety, not only in themselves but among their peers. Participants described the pressure to present an idealized version of themselves online and in person as causing anxiety. Comparing themselves to others’ idealized depictions of themselves as presented on social media contributed to negative self-perceptions. School administrators might conduct student outreach to inform students of the hazards of excessive social media use and the potential for false narratives.