The relationship between Facebook friends and self-esteem

The current study investigated the relationship between Facebook use (particularly the number of Facebook friends) and self-esteem. Previous research on the relationship between self-esteem and Facebook friends has yielded mixed results. Some studies have found that those with low self-esteem have more Facebook friends, whereas other research has found those with high self-esteem have more Facebook friends. Many other studies have found no relationship between these two variables. The purpose of this study was to address the mixed results found in previous studies on self-esteem and number of Facebook friends and to extend previous research on self-esteem and Facebook use. College-aged participants from the University of Texas at San Antonio completed a series of questionnaires assessing self-esteem, Facebook use, social anxiety (offline and on Facebook), social connectedness (offline and on Facebook), and relationship quality (offline and on Facebook). Results showed a significant positive correlation between self-esteem and number of Facebook friends. Females had significantly more Facebook friends than males. Other supplementary analyses were conducted to investigate other variables related to Facebook use and Facebook friends.