How does Facebook affects the self worth/ self-esteem

 Social Networking sites such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Tiktok among others have influenced the lives of users in various ways both positive and negative. In this project, my focus will be on Facebook.

Before looking at the impact on self-esteem, I will look at how one celebrated local artist back in my home country uses her Facebook book page, who posts there, what kind of content, the photos, the colors and look in the how the media concepts of production, technique, and reception are applied.

Production' the account is owned by a music artist Rema Namakula, a celebrated artist in Uganda, she{s considered one of the well-to-do artists so has good money. 

Technique- The photos shared on her page, some are natural, others, planned, edited, and enhanced for better appearance. She also uses bright colors that captivate the eyes, blue, red, white.

Reception- Her followers and viewers use the like, share and comment options to react to her posts and photos and they receive a large of likes and comments. many positive.

The impact posts and photos on Facebook by different celebrities can influence the esteem of followers and viewers in several ways both positive and negative.

• An individual may feel threatened by a friend`s appearance if they have better photos. it may create a feeling of discontent with one`s own images compared to others.
• A sense of rejection may arise from seeing photos of friends at events to which one was not invited. One may start to question the level of their friendship, wondering why they were not invited to the event and this lowers their esteem, a feeling that they were regarded less worthy to attend the event.
• Because of too much time spent interacting with friends on Facebook, a user may lack the confidence to interact with friends face to face hence lowering the confidence and esteem to be able to create and maintain relationships with others on physical presence. 

On the other hand, Facebook also does impact positively;

• The positive feedback through likes and positive comments from other users boost self-esteem. Comments on the physical appearance, romantic appeal of the photos, and the close relationships boost from friends and even strangers confidence and raise self-esteem. Facebook allows users to share filtered information and photos that attract likes and positive comments and compliments hence boosting self-esteem. 
• Facebook allows users to experiment with certain aspects of their lives that they may be shy to experiment in their everyday life. They are able to share information with the hope of meeting people with similar traits and those who will not judge them. It raises the feeling of acceptance and boosts esteem.
• A study conducted by Shaw and Grant (2002) on internet chats showed that people who chatted anonymously experienced a decline in depression and loneliness because of the social support received from friends online that increased their esteem. Although Facebook does not have anonymous chats, the effects can also be experienced by Facebook users.