Humans’ social nature includes the desire to be liked, valued, or recognized. It is completely normal that positive reinforcement, such as praise, acknowledgment, and feeling appreciated – it helps a person feel connected, inspired, and supported within their community.

This is not a sign of weakness, but an indication that a person is human and that social ties and connections are important. Another important part of being human is self-esteem – the sense of one’s own worth and value. Self- esteem is the subjective perception how we hold of ourselves – how we see and identify ourselves, how we understand our own worth, and how we evaluate ourselves as individuals and as personalities (American Psychological Association, n.d.).

It reflects the value we believe we have. There are generally two main types of self-esteem: high and low. People with high self-esteem tend to have a positive view of themselves, feel confident in their abilities, and are more resilient in facing challenges.

In contrast, individuals with low self-esteem often doubt their worth, feel insecure, and may struggle with self-criticism or fear of failure. Self-esteem is not fixed and can fluctuate over time, influenced by experiences, relationships, and personal achievements. While positive reinforcement from others helps us feel connected and appreciated, healthy self-esteem allows us to recognize our value independently of external validation.

Another essential part of our lives is social media and the way we use it. Social media such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok have become extremely popular and part of many people’s daily routine. At the same time, psychologist and other health specialists see mental health risks, warning that posts can turn into a competition and users become addicted to other users’ feedback (e.g., likes, new followers) to boost their self-esteem.

For instance, putting a high value on other user’s feedback on Instagram (e.g., likes, followers) is associated with low self-esteem and a low perceived social status (Diefenbach & Anders, 2022). Moreover, users with low perceived social status are more active on Instagram: posting more frequently or commenting more often – which may indicate a wish to attract attention and boost their self-worth (Diefenbach & Anders, 2022).

According to Kühn and Gallinat (2023), receiving positive online feedback such as likes can increase feelings of social connectedness and self-worth, while a lack of feedback may lead to negative emotions and a sense of rejection. In contrast, participants who received little or no feedback experienced negative emotions, stress, and a sense of rejection, although their overall self-esteem remained largely unchanged (Kühn & Gallinat, 2023).

These results suggest that digital feedback strongly influences situational feelings of value and belonging, even if it does not immediately affect long-term self-esteem. To sum up, social media can increase one’s sense of belonging and self-worth by providing good feedback, but relying too much on likes and follows can cause tension, unpleasant sentiments, and a decline in self- worth.

Even if digital feedback does not instantly alter long-term self-esteem, it has a significant impact on current perceptions of value. It is clear that spending excessive time online and caring too much about ‘likes’ and ‘followers’ has a negative impact on our mental health in general. A 2025 study by S. Pahariya found that higher levels of social media addiction were associated with increased depressive symptoms and lower self-esteem among young adults (Pahariya, 2025).

Young adults use of social media and their body image, self-esteem, and social appearance anxiety were evaluated in a 2025 study that was published in the International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences. The findings highlighted the psychological dangers of heavy social media use by showing a strong correlation between high consumption and body image dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, and heightened social appearance anxiety (Badola, Arora, Saran, & Priyanka, 2025).

Even though a 2025 study by Voggenreiter et al. found that receiving positive online feedback, such as likes and comments, can enhance social connectedness and reduce loneliness, while little or no feedback may lead to stress, negative emotions, and lower self-esteem, overreliance on these digital cues can make users more vulnerable to fluctuations in mood and self-worth (Voggenreiter et al., 2025).

In conclusion, there is a need for balanced and thoughtful online involvement because excessive social media use and an intense concentration on likes and followers can have a negative impact on mental health, self-esteem, and, for example, body image. The impact of ‘likes’ and ‘follows’ on self-esteem is a crucial question. Knowing this can helpidentifying the impacts causes.

Likes and followers signal social approval, and as social beings, we seek acceptance. Positive feedback can boost mood and self-worth, while few likes may feel like rejection, lowering self-esteem. Social media makes self-esteem depend more on external validation than internal confidence. The simplest way to understand this is by looking at how our brain works. Positive feedback, like likes and followers, triggers the release of dopamine, a chemical that makes us feel pleasure and boosts mood and self-worth.

For instane, receiving likes and followers on social media activates the brain’s reward system, releasing dopamine and boosting mood and self-worth (Sherman, Payton, Hernandez, Greenfield, & Dapretto, 2016).

The intermittent rewards of social media, such as likes and notifications, trigger dopamine release in the brain’s reward system, reinforcing compulsive use and affecting self-esteem and mood (Sharpe, 2025). Intermittent social media rewards like likes, comments, and followers stimulate the dopamine pathway in the brain, resulting in motivation and pleasurable feelings that may encourage compulsive use.

That’s why users are always seeking online acceptance due to the "dopamine-scrolling" effect, which can momentarily improve mood and self-esteem but also make people more susceptible to tension, worry, and negative emotions when feedback is lacking (Sharpe, 2025). On the other hand, few likes or followers can feel like rejection, lowering self-esteem and increasing anxiety.

This makes self-esteem dependent on external validation, creating a cycle of seeking more online approval for emotional reward. In conclusion, likes, follows, and feedback on social media can affect mental health and self- esteem via eliciting dopamine-driven reward responses and social validation.

Although receiving good comments might momentarily improve one’s mood, sense of belonging, and self-worth, relying too much on other people’s acceptance can result in anxiety, tension, problems with ones body image, and a decline in self-esteem. Maintaining a positive self-image and emotional wellness requires using social media in a balanced and thoughtful manner.