A systematic review of social media use and teenagers identity development

Abstract

One important setting for teenage identity development is social media. However, different definitions of social media activity and different ideas of identity in previous research make it difficult to comprehend how social media and identity creation are related. Research on the relationships between social media use, both in terms of quantity and quality, and many facets of identity development, including identity exploration, commitment, self-concept clarity, and identity distress, is summarized in this study. 32 studies including 750 teenagers with an average age of 16.43 years and an age range of 11 to 20 years were included in the analysis that were found via a search across databases. The results show that more identity exploration is associated with active social media use rather than just the quantity of time spent online. Furthermore, greater self-concept clarity is associated with authenticity in social media interactions rather than idealized self-presentation. Teenagers who compare themselves on social media also show higher degrees of identity exploration and identity discomfort. Overall, it seems that young people's identity formation is more influenced by the type of social media activities they engage in than by the amount of time they spend on these sites.