Adolescents’ emotional intelligence and self-perception in the context of social media use

Abstract

This study examined the relationships between perceived emotional intelligence (EI), self-esteem, self-concept, and social media use in a sample of 173 Argentinian adolescents (mean age 16.6). Using the TMMS to assess three EI dimensions (attention, clarity, and mood repair) alongside the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents, correlations, GLM, and moderation analyses were conducted. Results showed that clarity of feelings was positively associated with self-esteem, mood repair was linked to better behavioral conduct and scholastic competence, and Instagram use was negatively associated with romantic appeal particularly among females, while WhatsApp use showed positive associations with mood repair. A significant interaction between clarity and social media use in predicting self-esteem was also found. These findings suggest that clarity of feelings may act as a protective factor for adolescent self-esteem under high social media use, and that communication-oriented platforms are associated with more adaptive emotional regulation, whereas image-based platforms may negatively impact romantic self-perceptions.