Introduction

By: Haylee Leasure

The first social media platform, Six Degrees, launched in 1997, according to Our World in Data. Now, 28 years later, social media is a staple in the lives of billions of people. As of October 2025, 5.66 billion people, or 68.7 percent of the world’s population, are social media users, according to Statista. 

Social media has marked a new age of progress; however, it has also marked a new age of insecurity. Since its first iteration, social media has been used as a tool to connect people from all across the world. That connection, while often useful, has contributed to a culture of overconsumption and comparison that has worsened as social media has become more common. 

In today’s digital landscape, young women face growing pressures to meet standards shaped by social media influence and influencers. Social media often blurs the line between what is attainable and realistic vs. what is carefully curated by trends and societal beauty standards. While young men face similar pressures, the societal pressure on beauty and conformity is placed on women, especially in the context of social media.

As those pressures intensify, social media influence and influencers can create an environment where identity becomes unstable, comparison becomes compulsive and anxiety and mental health disorders can take root.

Despite those pressures, there are emerging movements in body positivity, body neutrality and inclusive presentation that offer healthier frameworks for self-esteem in young women. With increased media literacy and a push toward more casual, authentic posting, the social media environment can become healthier for users. 

The effects of social media influence and influencers on the self-esteem of young women is not a new question, but it is an important one that requires a deeper, diverse look into the problem, the conflict, the resolution and best practices.