Self-esteem In Adolescents: What Are The Factors That Influence This Stage?

The self-esteem It is the individual’s assessment of himself. It is built from approvals and is destroyed by the approvals we experience throughout life. It is linked to motivation, performance, job satisfaction, emotional stability, effective management of stress, conflicts and finally happiness. It is necessary for adequate personal, social and school growth, as it offers self-confidence and security. It is, therefore, important for adaptation to the environment and the formation of one’s own identity. This is exactly what happens in the adolescent stage. Other research shows that having high self-esteem is correlated with more active individuals, less anxious and with better social relationships.

What is self-esteem and what does it depend on?

Self-esteem is a positive and realistic evaluation of oneself and is essential for the emotional and psychological well-being of individuals. teenagers During adolescence, young people are in a stage of development in which their identity is built and their values ​​and long-term goals are established.

Factors that influence self-esteem:

Self-esteem can influence how teenagers They see themselves and their ability to cope with life’s challenges and pressures. Here are some of the main ones factors that influence self-esteem of adolescents (Estrada et al., 2023):

1. Emotional regulation: It is defined as the ability to attend to and understand the emotional responses of others and to be aware of one’s own emotions, recognizing and observing them. Some authors relate self-esteem to emotional regulation, thus illustrating that low self-esteem may be associated with significant deficits in affective regulation. These results are also corroborated by other studies, which show the association between emotional attention and self-esteem These two constructs are of great importance for adequate psychological health. Thus, self-esteem and emotional intelligence are two constructs directly related to externalized problems, preventing insults, threats and poorly adaptive behaviors when we reach adolescence (Estrada et al., 2023).
2. Comments/reviews from family and friends: The opinions and comments of parents and friends have a significant impact on the self-esteem of young people Constant criticism or lack of support can weaken self-esteem while praise and encouragement can strengthen her.
3. Academic and sports performance: Academic and sports performance are important factors that influence self-esteem of a teenager. Perceptions of success or failure in these areas can have a significant impact on how young people view themselves.
4. Appearance: During adolescence, young people are very conscious of how they look and may feel insecure or uncomfortable with their bodies. Peer pressure to be thin or have the perfect body can have a negative impact on self-esteem of adolescents. Hence the importance of psychoeducation about normalizing all bodies equally, since there is no perfect body.
5. Traumatic or negative experiences: Traumatic or negative events, such as bullying, domestic violence, or abuse, can have a negative impact on self-esteem of adolescents and require professional attention and treatment. Prevention and early detection of these problems are of vital importance to avoid problems on a psychological level.
6. Social networks: Social media can have a huge impact on self-esteem of a teenager Constantly comparing yourself to others on social media can lead to feelings of insecurity and low self-esteem. Offering tools to manage social networks by the school is essential, since misuse of technologies can trigger behavioral problems, in addition to affecting levels of self-esteem.

It is important that parents and other significant adults in a child’s life Teen provide support, guidance and a positive environment to help develop self-esteem Therapy or counseling can also help with any self-esteem problem In general, it is important for adolescents to know that they are worthy and deserving of love and respect, regardless of their behaviors.