Social media, social inclusion and women’s self-esteem

Abstract

Alyedreessy, Helsdingen and Al-Sobaihi consider that self-esteem is largely dependent on external validation and social inclusion: high inclusion is related to high self-esteem whereas social isolation is related to lower levels of self-esteem. Lives become virtual, forming links and networks within an internet society, and the question arises of how experiences of being included and acknowledged in this internet society relate directly to women’s feelings of self-esteem. The chapter draws attention to the concept of imaginary audience and its import in the Arabian Peninsula. The authors focus on the Saudi Arabian environment, where women have traditionally experienced limited opportunities for social inclusion, and contemporarily social media provides new means of social interaction and self-expression. Thus, they investigate relationships between inclusion in social media, imaginary audiences and women’s self-esteem.