Social media, absorption, and stress: Divergent paths to self-esteem

Current research on social media and mental health has provided conflicting results, with some studies reporting negative results while others suggest that some aspects of social media use may contribute to beneficial outcomes. The present study examined the relationship between perception of Instagram use and self-esteem, focusing on the mediating roles of absorption and perceived stress. A same of 463 participants (85.1% female) responded to self-report measures assessing Instagram use, absorption, stress, and self-esteem. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlations, and PROCESS macro in SPSS. Results from a serial mediation indicated a significant total effect of Instagram use on self-esteem. While the direct effect remained significant, indirect effects indicated that stress mediated the relationship between Instagram use and self-esteem. In contrast, the indirect effect through absorption alone and a serial path through both absorption and stress failed to reach significance. These findings suggest that Instagram use may be associated with higher self-esteem, primarily through reductions in perceived stress. Absorption was not found to play a meaningful mediating role. The results highlight the importance of perceived stress in the relationship between Instagram engagement and psychological well-being, supporting the nuanced role of mediation in digital behavior research.