You have read an article on social media users comparing themselves to one another and would like to recommend it to other readers. Write an essay in which you:
introduce the topic and summarize the issues mentioned in the text,
discuss the implications of these issues for the mental well-being of social media users,
conclude with predictions for the future of social media use and recommend the article to other readers.
Support your arguments with relevant examples from the extract. Do not copy directly from the text but summarize, paraphrase or quote short phrases. Write your answer in 300–350 words. You have 80 minutes to complete the task.
Social Comparison on Social Media Platforms: A media and communication Perspective
Yue Qiu
In the era of digitalization, the landscape of human interaction and self-presentation has been significantly transformed. Social media platforms, as one of the chief harbingers of this change, have not merely altered the way individuals communicate but have deeply influenced self-perception and societal values. There is no doubt that social media platforms are exerting a significant influence on interpersonal and sociocultural patterns of interaction. Specifically, social media platforms introduce new possibilities for managing personal networks and social activities. One finds a fascinating, albeit complex, the interplay of technology and human behaviour shaping an environment rife with social comparison. The Straits Times has reported that social media exacerbates feelings of inferiority among young people. The abundance of posts showing personal excellence can trigger feelings of inferiority or inadequacy in young people, especially for those who are unable to separate the world of social media from their real lives [1]. Young people tend to rely on social media to gain self-worth and build their self-image.
Festinger’s theory of social comparison posits that individuals inherently assess their own abilities and attitudes by juxtaposing themselves against others, especially in the absence of objective standards or when faced with uncertainties about their own standing in a particular domain [2]. While the intrinsic human tendency to compare oneself with others has historically been restrained to local or community interactions, or through conventional media, the rise of social media has supercharged this phenomenon, expanding its scale, scope, and implications. Festinger's theory finds new resonance in this digital context; with a deluge of information but lacking clear objective standards on what constitutes 'success' or 'happiness', users find themselves incessantly measuring against the varied metrics of social media—likes, shares, comments, or even the perceived lifestyles of other platform users.
Given the relevance of social media platforms to a variety of social functions, an extensive body of experimental research from the perspective of social psychology has documented detrimental effects on social media users’ mental well-being from exposure to social media posts. For example, Vogel et al. found that individuals with a higher inclination for social comparison orientation who engage in this behaviour on Facebook may experience a range of negative psychological outcomes, including lower self-perceptions, decreased self-esteem, and poorer emotional well-being compared to those with lower social comparison orientation who engage in similar online activities [3]. This finding underscores the potential negative consequences of excessive social comparison on social media platforms like Facebook. Similarly, individuals with a higher frequency of online comparisons tend to have higher levels of depressive symptoms, increased levels of addiction to social media, more negative self-perceptions, and a greater number of maladaptive social media behaviours [4].
From: Qiu, Yue. (2024). Social Comparison on Social Media Platforms: A media and communication Perspective. SHS Web of Conferences. 185. 10.1051/shsconf/202418503008.
1. A. Qing, & C. H. Won, Social media use can trigger feelings of inferiority or inadequacy among young: Experts (2021), Available online at https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/social-media-use-can-trigger-feelings-of-inferiority-or-inadequacy-among-young-experts.
2. L. Festinger, Human Relations (New York), 7(2), 117–140. (1954).
3. E. A. Vogel, J. P. Rose, B. M. Okdie, K. Eckles, & B. Franz, Personality and Individual Differences, 86, 249–256. (2015).
4. M. Gomez, D. Klare, N. Ceballos, S. Dailey, S. Kaiser, & K. Howard. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 38(10), 938–948. (2022).