Social media validation and its effect on the self-esteem of senior high school students

Many adolescents today constantly use social media due to the rise of technology and the internet.As a result, many adolescents, particularly SHS students, use social media to seek validation from others.This study aimed to determine if social media validation affects the selfesteem of SHS students.This study employed a descriptive-correlational design to describe the levels of social media validation and self-esteem among students and to examine the relationship between these variables.The researchers used a 35-item researcher-developed questionnaire to collect data.The findings showed that the SHS students relied more on comments and shares for social media validation than on likes and followers.Additionally, students generally had high levels of self-esteem in academic, social, and physical domains.The results show that students highly value direct, positive feedback, such as likes, viewing it as a meaningful sign of recognition and social interaction.Overall, the results show that social media validation significantly affects SHS students' self-esteem.Thus, this study recommends that teachers integrate discussions of digital literacy and responsible social media use into classroom activities to help students understand that followers should not determine their confidence.School administrations may implement awareness programs that promote balanced social media use so students do not base their worth on online engagement, such as shares.It is also recommended that SHS students and other adolescents promote and develop healthier social media habits and avoid overreliance on social media validation, with support from mentors, friends, and family.