SOCIAL WELL-BEING IN GEN Z: EXAMINING THE INFLUENCE OF SELF-ESTEEM AND SOCIAL SUPPORT

Abstract

Generation Z represents individuals born in the era of growing digital innovations, and they comprise most of the world's population. This  study explored the correlation between this cohort's  self-esteem,  social  support,  and  social  well-being.  Two  hundred  and  twenty undergraduates  enrolled  in  four public tertiary institutions  in  Enugu  State, Nigeria,  were recruited.   The   male   and   female   students   were   conveniently   pooled   from   different departments in the selected institutions. The respondents completed a self-report measure of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support  (MSPSS),  and  The  Social  Well-being   Scale.  A  Pearson   moment   model  was computed to test the correlations among the study variables. The results indicated that self- esteem (r = .44, p< .01) and social support (r = .69, p< .001) positively correlated with social well-being in Gen Z. The study concludes that self-esteem and social support are essential determinants of social well-being in the Gen Z. The result has implications for enhancing the social well-being in younger individuals.