If you had a picture that revealed the way you think and feelabout yourself, what would that image look like? What would othersthink and feel about you if they saw it? You can think aboutself-concept as the picture made up of everything about yourself:your likes, dislikes, emotional states, talents, interests, evenyour physical appearance. Your picture will also include what youbelieve others think and feel about you. Usually, these additionsare others’ observations of your behaviors or accomplishments.

Sound familiar? Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, andInstagram are platforms we use to display (and in many waysconstruct) our self-concepts. But social media only shows part ofour self-concept because people tend to share only positive thingsabout themselves on social media sites. In an article forInsideHigherEd.com, Lisa Lebduska described the Facebook phenomenonthis way: “Facebook must be recognized for what it is — a mediumthat invites carefully polished reflections of our favoriteself.”

If self-concept is the picture, self-esteem is what you feelwhen you look at that picture. Self-esteem is not about the pictureitself, but about self-worth. Do you feel “good” or “bad” aboutyourself? Are you happy, disappointed, satisfied? Ultimately, theway you “see yourself” shapes how you communicate about yourselfwith others.

So, what does your social media profile say about you? How doyou feel about your online profile? What do you want it to sayabout you?