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Anyone know of, or have links to research into the question of whether the near-unlimited access to global media via the Internet, etc. has a net negative effect on people's self esteem?
Couple examples...
Facebook
My brother quit Facebook saying, "I know these people's lives are not nearly interesting as their feed's make them out to be. Every time I hang out with these people... and most of them sit around trying to decide what to watch on Netflix six nights out of seven. It's annoying."
Excepting my cynical brother, FB seems to dupe a lot of people—I've heard it anecdotally and it seems like a reasonable hypothesis—into believing the lives of their friends are much better and more interesting than their own. I hear people say, "People these attractive pictures at fun events while I'm at home eating reheated Noodles & Co in my sweatpants..."
The Internet and Perceptions of Beauty
I had a discussion about this a female friend recently as to whether she'd considered female perceptions of beauty had become way out of whack since the Internet.
Thinking about it... In 1930, you might be the most beautiful women anyone had ever seen in your lifetime. And because people were disconnected, there would be thousands, or even millions, of "Most-Beautiful-Evers".
In 1980, there's going be much fewer MBEs due to TV and print media.
In 2014, there is a short list of MBEs due to...well...Buzzfeed alone, and everyone else is feeling comparatively less attractive as a result.
It seems to be the sort of "big fish in little pond" scenario everyone goes through as they progress in life. Except accelerated by technology.
Is there more info on this anyone is aware of?
(Note: Anticipating criticism of using females in the second example... Sorry. Feel free to insert male interchangeably if it suits you.)
I think the main damage may actually come from female perception of male sexiness, (and conversely), e.g., a girl being disappointed in her boyfriend because he isn't Brad Pitt.
Edit: fixed.