How Does Family Intimacy Predict Self-Esteem in Adolescents? Moderation of Social Media Use Based on Gender Difference

Abstract

The current study explored the multiple effects of social media use and its moderation mechanism between intimate family environment and self-esteem in adolescents. In all, 1,040 males and 1,201 females below age 25 have participated in this study. Hypothesis and research questions were proposed and examined by statistical analysis, consisting of statistical description, Pearson’s correlation analysis, independent-samples t test, multiple linear regression, simple-slope analysis, and moderation plot. Supportive social media use was identified as a moderator among all participants. Gender differences were found to exist in this moderation mechanism. Male adolescents tended to use social media as a habit, while female adolescents preferred to use social media for seeking support. The habitual social media use moderated the association between intimate family environment and self-esteem in male adolescents; the supportive social media use moderated the same procedure in female adolescents; however, both moderations were only found to be significant in the group of high habitual or supportive social media use, respectively.