Almost 4 billion people around the world use some form of social media, a number that has double in just 5 years. Lockdowns due to the pandemic have pushed our social interactions even further online and as such, social media forms a large basis for how we not only perceive others, but also ourselves.

For all the benefits these platforms have brought come caveats: heightened insecurities, comparison cultures, feeding into our narcissistic tendencies and portraying unrealistic expectations of the kinds of lives we should be living.

To discuss the effect that social media is having on self-esteem and mental health more generally we talk to three fascinating guests: Robin Mercado, a wellness coach and avid social media user in the US, Dr Daria Kuss, an expert in cyberpsychology at Nottingham Trent University in the UK, and Steve Rose PhD, an addiction counsellor specialising in online forms of addiction including social media usage.

For more information on Robin Mercado please visit: https://www.instagram.com/robinellen/

For more information on Dr Daria Kuss and her MSc in Cyberpsychology please visit: https://www.ntu.ac.uk/staff-profiles/social-sciences/daria-kuss

For more information on Steve Rose please visit https://steverosephd.com