An Investigation on the Relation Between Self-Esteem, Narcissism, and Instagram Use

Abstract

The impact of social networking sites on human functioning is growing immensely among the population of young adults. This study investigated whether Instagram use behaviours, such as posting, liking, commenting, and the amount of time spent on the platform would predict measures of self-esteem and narcissism in young adults. Participants were asked to complete three online self-report questionnaires assessing Instagram use, self-esteem levels, and narcissistic characteristics. Through two stepwise multiple linear regression analyses, spending time on Instagram was predictive of both self-esteem and narcissism scores, but the behaviours of posting, liking, and commenting were not. The limitations include a restricted sample, self-reported data, and a lack of a standardized measure assessing Instagram use in more depth. Future research could benefit from the assessment of various age groups and populations who use social media, as well as the creation of a reliable and valid measure to assess Instagram use behaviour.