Impact of Social Media on Adolescent Self-Esteem

In a recent study investigating the impact of social media use on the self-esteem of adolescents, researchers collected data from 500 high school students who reported their average daily time spent on social media as well as their self-esteem scores measured using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The data revealed a negative correlation (r = -0.65) between the amount of time spent on social media and self-esteem scores.

Based on the data provided, answer the following questions:

1. Describe what a negative correlation indicates about the relationship between social media usage and self-esteem in adolescents.

2. Explain two potential confounding variables that might affect the study’s results and how they could be controlled in future research.

3. Discuss the implications of this study's findings for psychological practice, particularly in counseling adolescents.