Low Self Esteem Effects and Outcomes
One of the most serious low self esteem effects is that it makes it impossible for an individual to live a healthy, happy and productive life. Psychologists have spent decades studying the role that poor esteem plays in a number of social ills. In some cases, people with low self-esteem resort to violence to assert their dominance, while other times people with low esteem become the victims of such violence. At any rate, researchers can agree that individuals must seek ways of improving self esteem if they wish to succeed in their jobs, their relationships and their personal lives.
Rampant materialism is another of the low self esteem effects for some Americans. A study published in the Journal of Consumer Research found that low self-esteem actually caused increased materialism ("Growing Up In a Material World," Chaplin & John, December 2007). They added that the converse was also true -- that increasing self-esteem could decrease materialism. After studying different cohorts, Chaplin and John found that adolescents were generally building self-esteem from 8-13, but experiencing low esteem from 13-18 as they transitioned into young adulthood. "By the time children reach early adolescence, and experience a decline in self-esteem, the stage is set for the use of material possessions as a coping strategy for feelings of low self-worth," they conclude. "By priming high self-esteem, we reversed the large drop in self-esteem experienced by early adolescents, thereby reducing the steep rise in materialism among this group."
The National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center estimates that 30% of all American youth are involved in bullying -- either as a victim or a perpetrator. Contrary to popular belief, they say bullies tend to be confident, with overly positive self esteem. In fact, those who are victims of bullying are more likely to have low self esteem, feel like "outsiders," suffer from anxiety, be physically weaker, lack social skills and feel socially isolated. Once bullied, many of these kids still need to develop self esteem years down the road. The aggressive bullies carry with them a hot-headedness and impulsiveness into adulthood. They're more likely to do poorly in school, fight, drink, smoke and come from families where the parents provide little emotional support or guidance. One study found that 60% of those characterized as bullies in grades 6-9 had at least one criminal conviction by age 24. Many psychologists advocate that programs be built into schools that teach ways to improve self esteem, which will help potential targets assert themselves better and enrich students' lives with positive ways to feel good without hurting others.
Teenage pregnancy is widely viewed as one of the more serious low self esteem effects nowadays. Consider that in 1957, the teenage birthrate was 50% higher than it is today. However, only 6% of white teenage childbearing occurred outside of marriage in the fifties and today it is 42%. "Educational failure, poverty, unemployment and low self-esteem are understood to be negative outcomes of early childbearing," explains the Family Connection of St. Joseph County website. "These circumstances also contribute to the likelihood of teen pregnancy." They argue that service opportunities aimed at building self-esteem and forging positive connections are the best way to overcome this societal ill.
Related topics about Low Self Esteem Effects
Self Esteem Activities To Improve Your Life
One of the often recommended self esteem activities is to transform your space. For some strange reason, our mental state tends to mirror our surroundings; so if you're in a house that's full of clutter, your mind will feel disarrayed. If you're in a room with plain white walls and no character, you will feel like your personality is just as dull.
Some Worthwhile Self Esteem Self Help Books
Feeling Good by Dr. David Burns M.D.
The Causes of Low Self Esteem
Dysfunctional interpersonal relationships are widely believed to be another of the major causes of low self esteem. In some cases, this may mean an abusive, neglectful or alcoholic parent. In other cases, this can be a parent who is possessive, overprotective and highly critical of the child.