Conceptualizing social media contingent self-esteem: Associations between echo chambers, contingent self-esteem, and problematic social media use

Abstract

How social media influences users depends largely on motivations for its use and how the user interprets social media-facilitated interactions. Contingent self-esteem, a construct rooted in self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000), can account for differential effects, including addictive use. Three preregistered studies (ntotal = 822) derived social media contingent self-esteem (SMCSE) and examined the factor structure and associations with social media use, addiction, and disorder criteria. Study 1 (N = 412) analyzed exploratory and confirmatory factors. Study 2 (N = 230) examined associations with other domains of contingent self-esteem, basic psychological needs satisfaction and frustration, and measures of social media use and addiction. Study 3 (N = 192) examined associations between SMCSE, identity bubble reinforcement (echo chambers), and social media outcomes. SMCSE was associated with greater social media use and intensity, identity bubble reinforcement, social media addiction, and disorder criteria. Exploratory support was found for mediation models in which identity bubble reinforcement predicted greater SMCSE, which in turn predicted a greater likelihood of social media addiction and disorder.

Keywords

• social media
• contingent self-esteem
• addiction
• motivation
• self-determination