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. 2025 Jul 16;15(7):964.
doi: 10.3390/bs15070964.

Can Self-Esteem Protect the Subjective Well-Being of Women in Their 20s from the Effects of Social Media Use? The Moderating Role of Self-Esteem

Yesolran Kim  1 , Mina Lee  1
Affiliations

Can Self-Esteem Protect the Subjective Well-Being of Women in Their 20s from the Effects of Social Media Use? The Moderating Role of Self-Esteem

Yesolran Kim et al. Behav Sci (Basel). .

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between social media use and subjective well-being among South Korean women in their 20s, with a particular emphasis on the moderating role of self-esteem. Cross-sectional data from 611 women in their 20s who had experience using social media platforms was drawn from the Korean Media Panel Survey 2021. A regression analysis revealed that increased social media use was associated with lower subjective well-being. Self-esteem acted as a moderator in the relationship between social media use and subjective well-being. Among individuals with low or medium levels of self-esteem, higher social media use was linked to decreased subjective well-being; however, for those with high self-esteem, social media use did not significantly impact subjective well-being. These findings underscore the significance of self-esteem as a protective factor in the context of social media use and its influence on the subjective well-being among women in their 20s.

Keywords: self-esteem; social media use; subjective well-being; women in their 20s.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Research model.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The moderating effect of self-esteem on social media use and subjective well-being.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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