After mastering the art of limiting your screen time, it’s time to beef up your real-world interests. You rack up likes, hearts, and retweets, bathing in the glow of virtual validation. It whispers, “Hey, look how cool their life is!” while you eat cereal straight from the box in yesterday’s pajamas. Platforms like LinkedIn enable users to showcase their professional achievements and milestones.
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- Unless we focus on changing it, if we are insecure as children, we are likely to be so in adulthood.
- Sometimes all you need is to turn your head in another direction and see other, more uplifting things.
- For example, a 2022 study found that children who played video games exhibited better cognitive performance than those who didn’t.
- Mental health programs, therapy sessions, and other treatments can provide individuals with the guidance they need to feel like themselves again.
If you’ve ever felt a rush from a flood of likes on your latest post, you’re not alone; these digital thumbs-ups can be addictive. As children emerge into late childhood and early adolescence, parental approval continues to affect self-esteem, but it is not as influential as peer approval (Erol, 2011). Project management tools like , Notion, Basecamp, Lark, Slack, Asana and Trello. Whether you’re dealing with stress, self-esteem issues, or just need someone to listen, WithTherapy is here to help.
Finally, social media can help you build your confidence by challenging you to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. You can use social media to set goals, track your progress, and share your results. You can also use social media to participate in challenges, contests, or campaigns that can push you to grow, learn, or create. By challenging yourself, you can discover new abilities, develop new habits, and achieve new outcomes. Every like or comment can either inflate or deflate your digital ego, turning self-perception into a slippery game of comparison. Remember, those polished feeds aren’t real life—everyone struggles beyond the snapshots.
If your self-worth feels linked to online reactions, it’s time to disconnect and redefine. Stick around to discover how you can balance your virtual and real-life persona for a healthier mental outlook. Another way to boost your confidence and creativity is to learn new skills and knowledge using digital tools.
We need to remind ourselves that social media is just a highlight reel, not an accurate portrayal of someone’s life. Parents can use technology to reinforce supportive parenting techniques that encourage confidence. Communication apps like Cozi and Family Wall allow parents to stay organized and involved in their child’s activities, ensuring that children receive the attention and encouragement they need. These apps enable families to track goals, celebrate achievements, and share positive feedback in a way that strengthens the parent-child relationship. As a parent, it’s important to acknowledge that social media will be a part of your teen’s social life.
In a 2023 study, video games were also found to increase optimism, which translated to higher creativity in the workplace and beyond. Video games are designed around progress and achievement, making them natural incubators for motivation and goal-setting. Their structure — with clear objectives, instant feedback, and escalating challenges — aligns with core principles of self-determination theory, which emphasizes competence and autonomy as drivers of motivation.
It builds on our self-understanding, self-concept (basic beliefs about who we are), and, crucially, our self-esteem (Ramachandran, 2012). If you want to guide others in cultivating self-compassion and emotional wellbeing, our Self-Compassion X© training program is the right tool for you. Designed for practitioners to use anywhere, it is filled with ready-to-use practices. If the ‘should’ is undermining your self-esteem, and the negatives outweigh the positives, then it needs to be cut from your internal self-talk (McKay & Fanning, 2016). It is necessary to catch the critic early to build and maintain self-esteem. Perhaps the critic was preparing you for rejection or protecting you by encouraging you not to engage.
Technology, particularly social media, has revolutionized the way we connect, share experiences, and seek validation. However, its influence on self-esteem can be both positive and negative. If you notice signs of low self-esteem in your child, it’s important to address the issue early, as it can have lasting effects on their confidence and well-being. Taking proactive steps can help them develop a healthier mindset and stronger sense of self-worth. However, numerous studies indicate that social media use is linked to increased risks of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and low self-esteem. On social media, we are constantly bombarded with images of people who appear to be living their best lives.
Fear of missing out (FOMO) refers to Instantalks the feeling or perception that others are having fun, experiencing new things, or living a better life than you. FOMO can happen to anyone in any context, but social media has become one of the most common ways of experiencing it, making it one of the most common negative effects of technology on confidence. Platforms like LEGO Education and LittleBits encourage kids to engage in creative activities that require problem-solving, collaboration, and leadership. These tools help children take initiative in projects and practice leading others in a group setting, fostering confidence in their ability to take charge. Emotional resilience is the ability to cope with challenges and bounce back from setbacks.
Get exclusive updates on our care services and resources to support children’s mental health. Comparing themselves to others can undermine self-esteem, and a teen’s own carefully edited, perfect-looking feed can mask serious issues, making it harder for friends or parents or to see that they need help. Setting limits on your social media time isn’t just wise; it’s essential. Establishing usage boundaries can save your brain from becoming a mushy mess of likes and memes. While you scroll and swipe, social media platforms deftly shape your self-perception. Programs for parents and caregivers to learn and practice effective strategies for raising healthy children.
As a result, children and teens who follow those profiles may feel their own life is lacking and can begin to feel worse about themselves. These days, however, the impossible standards are set much closer to home, not by celebrities and models but by classmates and friends. And there’s evidence that those images are causing distress for many kids. One of the benefits of social media is that you can access a variety of content that can motivate, educate, and inspire you.
Confidence-building Activities For Children
Video games can then serve as a way to broaden your social network and sustain existing relationships, especially if you’re unable to visit people in person. This is further supported by 2022 research, which found that gaming improves attention and increases brain plasticity during in-game sessions. Yes, reducing screen time can help break the cycle of comparison, encourage real-life interactions, improve sleep quality, and promote personal growth, all of which can boost self-esteem. In today’s fast-paced digital world, technology plays a significant role in shaping how we perceive ourselves and interact with others. While advancements in technology provide numerous benefits, such as improved communication, access to information, and professional growth, they can also contribute to self-esteem issues and mental health struggles. The relationship between technology and self-confidence is complex, and understanding this dynamic is essential for maintaining a healthy self-image.
With the help of technology, children can easily set, track, and achieve their goals. Apps like Goal Progress or Habitica allow kids to create visual progress trackers for their goals, whether academic, personal, or behavioral. These apps not only allow kids to set specific goals but also offer visual representations of their progress, which provides motivation to continue working toward their objectives. Interactive apps such as Tynker and Scratch help children create their own games and stories.
Socially, multiplayer games can also help children build friendships and improve communication skills. One of the biggest challenges of social media is the “highlight reel” effect—where users share only the best aspects of their lives. Research shows that frequent exposure to curated and filtered images can lead to self-doubt, body dissatisfaction, and even anxiety (Fardouly et al., 2015). Additionally, the pressure to gain likes and followers can make self-worth feel tied to online validation rather than personal values (Burrow & Rainone, 2017).
Set a timer, escape the screen, and rediscover life beyond likes and shares. One minute, you’re king of the meme world; the next, you’re questioning why your real-life charisma isn’t as hot as your filtered selfies. Let’s face it, you might feel like a superhero online, but the cape doesn’t always fit in real life. WithTherapy is designed to make finding the right therapist easier and more personal. No need to sift through endless options—just share a bit about yourself, and WithTherapy will match you with a therapist who aligns with your preferences and goals. These strategies can help you cultivate a healthier self-esteem and navigate social media with more confidence and ease.
This article is published in collaboration with Brainz Magazine’s network of global experts, carefully selected to share real, valuable insights. If you or someone you know is experiencing low self-esteem or other mental health conditions, talk to one of our team members to see how we can help today. Both youth and adults can fall into these traps, making it crucial to develop strategies for maintaining confidence in the digital world. Work on your strengths more, and see where your interests and strengths jibe. For proponents of what is called a “strengths-based approach,” focusing on strengths is actually a better strategy than working on improving your weaknesses. Once you’ve done that, you can also discipline yourself into sharing only specific posts.