Examining the Relationships between Soci

Examining the Relationships between Social Media, Cyberbullying, Self-Esteem & Fathers in College Students

Authors :

Martha Mendez-Baldwin
Joseph Petti
Michael Surovetz
Manhattan College

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between social media, cyberbullying, self-esteem and fathers among college students. The popularity of social media platforms has emerged as a leading influencer in our country. The increased prevalence and popularity of social media has been accompanied by an increase of cyberbullying among college aged students. The participants for this study completed surveys that measured their self-esteem, social media usage, cyberbullying experience and relationship with their father. Results indicate that social media usage is prevalent among the participants. A large number of participants reported experiencing cyberbullying while in college in addition to feeling anxiety as a result of social media. Additionally, results demonstrated a significant relationship between self-esteem and anxiety suggesting that self-esteem may serve as a buffer against the negative effects of social media. A strong relationship with father was also found to be related to higher levels of self-esteem among the college students. Lastly, the results of this study suggest the need for more parent training on
issues related to bullying. Many participants did not get any advice from their parents about how to handle bullying during their childhood. Those who had received advice reported being given ineffective strategies such as fighting back and ignoring the bullying. Keywords: bullying, social media, cyberbullying, self-esteem, college students, fathers

Examining the Relationships between Social Media, Cyberbullying, Self-Esteem & Fathers in College Students

The use of social media in the daily life of a child or young adult in America is extremely high. The popularity of social media platforms has emerged as a leading influencer in our country. The increased prevalence and popularity of social media has been accompanied by an increase of cyberbullying among college aged students. Webber & Ovedovitz (2018) conducted a study at a northeastern Catholic University. The research showed that 4.3% of students experienced cyberbullying at the university level. 7.5% of students reported that they had participated in cyberbullying at the college level. Although more research is needed in regards to
the prevalence of cyberbullying at the college level, the existing body of literature highlights the negative impact of cyberbullying on mental health and psychosocial functioning, most specifically self-esteem and anxiety.

A general rise in anxiety has been found in youth participating in social media use. In fact, both anxiety and depression have been shown to mediate the links between social media addiction and conflict (White-Gosselin & Poulin, 2024). Anxiety is already the second leading cause of disability among psychiatric disorders (Vannucci, A, et al, 2016). It can be seen through research that the frequent use of social media platforms is directly correlated to anxiety disorders for young adults.

The effect of social media use on self-esteem has been the subject of more and more research, especially with regard to young adults and adolescents. Vogel, Rose, Roberts, and Eckles (2014) conducted a study in which they discovered that exposure to social media
idealized images and lifestyles can cause unfavorable self-comparisons – which in turn impair self-esteem. Within the context of social media, this phenomenon is referred to as the social comparison theory. Furthermore, a long-term study by Jia and Schoppe-Sullivan (2017) found a strong link over time between chronic use of social media and a decline in self-esteem, particularly in young girls. The continuous exposure to content that has unrealistic expectations is blamed for this decrease. That excessive usage of social media is linked to reduced self- esteem, probably as a result of the emphasis on social comparison and external validation. One
of the purposes of this study was to examine the prevalence of social media usage among college students and the relationship between social media usage and self-esteem. It was predicted that college students would report spending a significant amount of time on social media. It was also hypothesized that social media usage would be correlated with self-esteem.

Another purpose of this study was to examine whether college students’ relationships with their fathers were correlated with social media usage, self-esteem and experiences with bullying. While research has focused on parents and bullying, most studies have focused on the role of fathers. There is a scarcity of studies focusing on fathers and bullying. According to Raeburn (2014) the role of the father in a child’s development is significantly important and has been overlooked in research. Fathers play an important role in teaching children how to play and interact with their peers (Raeburn, 2014). As such, fathers may be instrumental in helping their
children navigate complex peer relationships as well as giving advice about how to handle incidences of bullying.

Additionally, a child sense of self-worth is significantly shaped by the complexities of their relationships with their father. Jia and Schoppe-Sullivan (2017) conducted a groundbreaking study which showed that children with fathers who are supportive and actively involved in their lives typically have greater self-esteem. The attachment hypothesis, which contends that a stable father-child bond helps promote a positive self-image and confidence in youngsters, lends credence to this study. On the other hand, Vannucci, A, et al, 2016 observed that children's poor self-esteem can result from negative interactions with the father such as those involving harsh criticism or lack of affection, or from the absence of their father. Research by Jia and Schoppe-Sullivan (2017) showed substantial correlation between self-esteem and high-quality father-child interactions. Participants in their study who experienced high-quality interactions with their fathers displayed higher levels of self-worth and self-esteem, further supporting the important role of fathers in their child’s development. In addition, it has been shown through research that social media addiction can affect the overall relationship a child has with their parents (White-Gosselin & Poulin, 2024). Particularly, social media addiction is related to high conflict, low satisfaction, and low equity with the individual’s father (White- Gosselin & Poulin, 2024). A major purpose of this study was to begin to better understand the relationships between social media usage, cyberbullying, self-esteem, and fathers among college students.

Methods

Participants

The participants for this study consisted of 190 undergraduate students from Manhattan College, a private liberal arts college located in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, New York. The participants&; mean age was 19.77 years (SD=1.69). 64 of the participants were male and 124 were female and 2 identified as non-binary/other gender. 51 (26.7%) of the participants were in their freshman year of college, 57 (29.8%) were sophomores, 44 (23.0%) were juniors, and 38 (19.9%) were seniors. The two most frequently occurring majors were Psychology and Business. There were 60 (31.4%) psychology majors and 35 (18.3%) business majors that participated in this study. In terms of ethnicity, 94 (49.2%) of the participants were White, 48 (25.1%) were Hispanic/Latino, 24 (12.6%) were Black/African American, and 24 (12.5%) described their ethnicity as “other”.

Materials

Participants completed the Relationship with Father Questionnaire, designed by the searchers for the purpose of this study. The questionnaire consisted of 33 questions assessing the participants’ relationship with their fathers. Questions were answered on a 5-point scale where 1= strongly disagree and 5= strongly agree. Sample questions included: “I know that my father cared about me”, “I can talk to my father about anything”, “I recall spending time with my father as a child” and “my father has told me he loves me”.

In addition, Ps completed the Bullying and Social Media Questionnaire. This questionnaire contains 10 questions assessing the participants’ social media usage as well as their current and past experiences with bullying. Sample questions included: “Social media contributes to my anxiety”, “I was the target of cyberbullying in college”, and “As a child, I was bullied”. Questions were answered on a 5-point scale where 1= strongly disagree and 5= strongly agree with the exception of one open-ended question that asked Ps to describe the advice their father had given them about bullying.

Participants also answered 9 socio-biographical questions including age, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, grade, college living situation, parents’ marital status and major. Lastly, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (1965) was used to measure participants& self- esteem. The Rosenberg Scale is a 10-item Likert Scale with items answered on a four-point scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Sample questions included “I feel I do not have much to be proud of”, “I feel that I have a number of good qualities”, and “I wish I could have more respect for myself”. High scores on the Rosenberg indicate higher self-esteem. The Rosenberg scale has good predictive validity, as well as internal consistency and test–retest reliability (Schmitt & Allik, 2005). Cronbach coefficient has been shown to be high (M = 0.81)supporting the internal coherence of the scale. Sinclair et al.

Procedure

IRB approval from Manhattan College was obtained for this study. Participants were recruited via announcements in psychology classes. The participants took about 25 minutes to complete the questionnaires. All measures were administered via Qualtrics which allowed the participants to access the materials and respond electronically. No incentives were used. Participants received debriefing information after they completed the surveys. Participants were advised of the availability of counseling services in the event they were feeling emotional distress or wanted to discuss their bullying experiences or relationship with their father with a professional.

Results

Social Media, Anxiety and Cyberbullying

Analysis of the data showed that 24.1% (n=46) of the participants strongly agreed or agreed that they had been targets of cyberbullying at college. This finding indicates that about a quarter of the participants have experienced cyberbullying at the college level.

Results also demonstrated that 44% (n=84) of the participants strongly agreed or agreed that social media causes them anxiety. This finding indicates that almost half of the participants in this study experience anxiety from social media.

Participants reported spending an average of 2.8 hours ( SD= .56) a day on social media. A Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was computed to assess the relationship between time spent on social media per day and whether a person has been the target of cyberbullying at college. There was a weak, positive correlation between the two variables, r = .145 , N = 188; this relationship was significant (p=.047). Participants who spent more time on social media were more likely to have been targets of cyberbullying.

A Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was computed to assess the relationship between whether or not social media contributes to a person’s anxiety and if a person has been the target of cyber-bullying at college. There was a weak, positive correlation between the two variables, r = .259, N = 190; this relationship was significant (p = <.001). Participants who were targets of cyberbullying were more likely to report anxiety from social media.

Self-Esteem

Scores on the Rosenberg Scale were computed and analyzed. The results showed a Mean score of 22.4 ( SD= 1.8) on the Rosenberg. This score falls within the normal range for self- esteem indicating that the Ps had normal levels of self- esteem as measured by the Rosenberg Scale.

A Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was computed to assess the relationship between the score of the Rosenberg Scale and whether or not social media contributes to a person’s anxiety. There was a weak, negative correlation between the two
variables, r = -.150, N = 183; this relationship was significant (p=.043). Participants with higher levels of self-esteem reported feeling less anxious due to social media.

Relationship with Fathers

Responses to the Relationship with Father Questionnaire show that the majority of the Ps describe their relationship with their father as close, with 41.9% (N=80) describing the relationship as being very close and 26.7% (N= 50) describing the relationship as being fairly close. 9.4 % (N=18) report never being close to their father and 4.2% (N=8) have no contact with their father.

Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficients were computed to assess the relationship between various components of the father relationship. There was a statistically significant correlation between scores on the Rosenberg and feeling understood by the father (
r=.632; N=190; p=.01), telling father I love you (r=.584; N=190; p=.01) having good times together (r=.632; N=190; p=.01). Participants who had higher self-esteem scores as measured by the Rosenberg Scale, were more likely to feel understood by their fathers, more likely to tell their father they loved them and were more likely to report having had good times with their father.
Data analysis also shows that 38.9 % of the respondents did not get advice from their fathers about bullying. Of the Ps that got advice from their fathers, 12% (n=22) were advised to ignore the bullying, 13% (n=24) were advised to stand up to the bully , 9% (n=17) were advised to fight back; and 6% (n=13) were told to tell an adult.

Prior experience with Bullying

Responses to the question “ I was bullied as a child” indicate that 46.1 % (n=88) of the Pshad been bullied as a child.

Discussion

This study’s findings show that a large portion of the college students sampled in this study have experienced cyberbullying while in college and that a large portion also had experienced bullying in school before attending college. This shows that despite the large emphasis on bully prevention in schools and overall increased awareness of bullying in society, bullying and cyberbullying remains prevalent. Additionally, this study shows that the college students who were surveyed in this study reported spending an average of almost three hours on social media daily. Considering the fact that college students presumably spend about 4-5 hours a day attending class and probably spend about another 4 hours daily on school related activities such as clubs, homework, studying, and athletics, an average of 3 hours on social media is a relatively high proportion of their time. This demonstrates the strong trend and popularity of social media among today’s youth.

Additionally, this study’s findings show a clear connection between social media usage and anxiety. Close to half of the participants agreed that social media usage causes them anxiety. This finding has important implications for today’s youth. As social media usage continues to increase among children, adolescents and young adults, its negative effects on psychological well-being, especially in terms of anxiety, raises concern. Today’s youth is bombarded with pressures arising from various sources, the added concerns and anxiety arising from social media may contribute to an increase in mental health issues among children, teens, and young adults.

This study also highlighted the role of self-esteem. Developmental psychologists have always noted the significant role of self-esteem in youth psychosocial development. This study supports the belief that youth self-esteem serves a beneficial function. Specifically, the findings suggest that self-esteem may act as a buffer against the negative effects of social media usage on anxiety. Results revealed that participants who had a higher self-esteem reported feeling less anxious due to social media. Perhaps individuals with higher self-esteem are less impacted by negative comments on social media. This supports the findings of Boulton & Macaulay’s 2003 study which examined the role of self-esteem in mitigating the association between being bullied and social anxiety in 9th and 10th graders. The results of Boulton & Macaulay’s study showed that even moderate levels of authentic self-esteem can mitigate the association between being bullied and social anxiety. This study suggests the same may be true in young adults enrolled in
college. Self-esteem may equip young adults with coping mechanisms to handle social media pressures and bullying.

Another purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between various components of the father relationship among college students. The majority of the college students who participated in this study reported having a good relationship with their father.

Furthermore, the results demonstrate that feeling understood by your father, telling your father I love you, and sharing good experiences together with your father are related to a higher self- esteem among the college students who participated in this study. These results add to the expanding body of research emphasizing the critical role fathers play in their children &
psychological well being. Research, such as that done by Raeburn (2014), has demonstrated that the guidance and engagement of fathers can serve as protective factors by boosting self-esteem. Overall, this study highlights how critical it is to comprehend the complex interactions that exist between college students & psychological well being, their usage of social media, the prevalence of cyberbullying, and their relationship with their fathers. It turns out that the father-child relationship plays a major role in enhancing resilience against the detrimental effects of life experiences through its impact on the child’s self-esteem, indicating that encouraging this relationship could be an effective strategy in assisting young adults in navigating the challenges of social interactions in both online and offline contexts.

Lastly, the results of this study suggest the need for more parent training on issues related to bullying. Close to 40% of the participants reported that they did not get any advice from their parents about how to handle bullying during their childhood. Furthermore, the advice the participants reported that they received included fighting back and ignoring the bullying. These
are not effective strategies for dealing with bullying. Since bullying rates continue to indicate that bullying is quite prevalent among today’s youth, parents need to be better equipped to provide advice on effective strategies for dealing with bullying.

This study has some important implications for psychologists, educators, and others working with today’s youth. One way to help minimize the negative impacts of bullying and social media is through supportive familial interactions. Encouraging healthy father-child and mother-child relationships is highly suggested. Additionally, any steps that can be taken to enhance self-esteem among children, teens, and young adults is highly recommended as it may reduce the negative impact of social media on kids.

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ISSN: 2375-5849 (Online)