Effects of College Students' Social Media Use on Coping and Other Daily Functions

Abstract

The purpose of this poster is to determine what the literature says with regards to whether there is a relationship between college student’s social media use and their self-esteem, social skills, time management skills, and coping skills. A secondary purpose is to address the type of relationship if one does exist. With adolescents and young adults spending on average two to three hours a day on social media alone, it is vital to understand the effects that social media use has on daily functions such as self-esteem, social skills, time management skills, and coping. Findings from the literature suggest that although social media use is becoming more popular among young adults, 77% of young adults prefer face to face communication over the internet (Sponcil & Gitimu n.d.). Literature also suggests that, “Social media sites empower users to take an active role in their own socialization process and in constructing their own self-identity” (Sponcil & Gitimu n.d. 5). Although popular belief is that social media only has negative implications to daily functioning, the literature supports the contrary, that social media can have positive effects on self-esteem and does not always hinder a person’s communications skills.