Social Comparison in Social Media Among Adolescents: Is it Associated with Lower Life Satisfaction?

Does social media use make us happy? A meta-analysis on social media and positive well-being outcomes

The increasing prevalence of social media has given rise to the Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) phenomenon, characterized by an acute awareness of the rewarding experiences others might be enjoying. FoMO is hypothesized to affect various aspects of individuals' lives, including their psychological well-being and academic performance. This study explores these relationships among university students, a demographic particularly vulnerable to social media influences. To examine the relationships between FoMO, social media use, psychological well-being (as measured by life satisfaction), and academic performance (as measured by GPA) among university students and determine the mediating roles of FoMO and social media use. A quantitative, correlational design was employed, collecting data from 521 university students through a cross-sectional survey. Participants completed the Fear of Missing Out Scale (FoMO), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and self-reported GPA. Social media use was assessed via a customized questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS, employing correlation analysis, multiple regression, and mediation analysis. Findings indicated a strong positive association between FoMO and social media use (R 2 = 0.633, p < 0.001), suggesting that higher levels of FoMO lead to increased social media engagement (B = 0.834, p < 0.001). Contrary to expectations, FoMO was positively rather than negatively correlated with life satisfaction (R 2 = 0.064, p < 0.001, B = 0.158). Additionally, a strong positive correlation was observed between social media use and academic performance (Spearman's rho = 0.765, p < 0.001). Mediation analyses revealed that FoMO does not significantly mediate the relationship between social media use and life satisfaction, as the indirect effect was not statistically significant (B = 0.0785, 95% CI: -0.0164 to 0.1467). Similarly, the non-significant indirect effect indicated that social media use did not mediate the relationship between FoMO and academic performance (B = 0.005, 95% CI: -0.0045 to 0.0146). Moderation analyses showed that FoMO moderates the relationship between social media use and life satisfaction, where social media use hurt life satisfaction at low levels of FoMO (B = -0.1713, p = 0.0001) but had a positive effect at high levels of FoMO (B = 0.2848, p < 0.0001). This suggests that individuals with high FoMO may derive psychological benefits from social media use. Additionally, results indicated that social media use moderates the relationship between FoMO and academic performance, where FoMO had a significant adverse effect on GPA at low social media use (B = -0.030, p < 0.0001). Still, this effect became non-significant at high levels of social media use (B = 0.0097, p = 0.1028). Finally, life satisfaction moderates the relationship between FoMO and social media use, with higher life satisfaction strengthening the positive association between FoMO and social media use (B = 0.9277, p < 0.0001). These findings highlight the complex interplay between FoMO, social media use, life satisfaction, and academic performance. While FoMO increases social media engagement, its positive association with life satisfaction contradicts theoretical expectations. These results underscore the importance of considering psychological and social factors when evaluating the impact of social media use among university students.

The overarching aim of this study is to explain how comparing self to others in social media might predict one’s sense of life satisfaction. In order to achieve that, we test the hypothesis that mattering and state self-esteem play a serial mediation that explains the link between social comparison in social media and life satisfaction. One hundred and forty-seven participants’ ages between 18 to 35 were recruited to participate in this research and were asked to fill up the Iowa-Netherlands Comparison Orientation Measure, General Mattering Scale, State Self-Esteem Scale and Riverside Life Satisfaction Scale questionnaires. Bias-free Bootstrap Method with 5000 sample has been conducted to analyze the relationship among the variables, and the results suggested that the overall model of the predictor significantly contributed to life satisfaction. Nevertheless, because social comparison did not predict the sense of mattering, serial mediation did not occur as per hypothesized. Our supplementary analyses indicated that state self-esteem fully mediated the contribution of mattering on life satisfaction. Implication, limitation and suggestions are discussed at the end of the paper.

The present research examined how social media, social comparison, and self-esteem affect adolescents. After an extensive literature review, these hypotheses were developed. 1) Social media use, social comparison, and self-esteem among teenagers will be significantly related. 2) Social media use will affect self-esteem among adolescents.3) Adolescent self-esteem will be affected by social comparison.4) Gender will affect adolescent social media use, comparison, and self-esteem of the 249 samples, 153 are female and 96 are male. Survey participants were 14–25 years old. Data were purposively sampled from Faisalabad educational institutions. The findings were assessed using these methods. Participant demographics were collected using a sheet. Adolescent self-esteem was measured with a scale. The Social Comparison scale measured self-comparative behavior. Participants' social media use was measured using a scale. Analyze the data using correlation, regression, and independent sample tests. Findings illuminate individual traits and tendencies.

Understanding the Health and Well-Being of Early Adolescents Throughout the World: Findings From the 2017–2018 Survey of Health Behavior in School-Aged Children

Social media and disordered eating among middle-aged women: Not just an adolescent concern

Despite its widespread presence, social media&amp;rsquo;s impact on happiness remains unclear. This study investigates the intricate relationship between social media use, happiness, materialism, and social comparison within the specific context of Saudi Arabia. It examines whether materialism and social comparison mediate the association between social media use and happiness. Data were collected through surveys focusing on popular social media platforms used by Saudi adults. These surveys measured social media use, happiness levels, materialistic tendencies, and the propensity for social comparison.&amp;nbsp;A sample of 250 Saudi nationals residing in Riyadh, encompassing various genders and age groups, participated in the study. Statistical analyses using advanced software (SPSS, AMOS 26, and PROCESS 4.0) were conducted to assess correlations and potential mediating effects. The findings revealed a significant positive association between increased social media use and both higher materialism and social comparison. Surprisingly, a positive correlation was also observed between social media use and reported happiness levels. Interestingly, both materialism and social comparison significantly mediated the relationship between social media use and happiness. This suggests that these factors play a crucial role in explaining the observed connection. The findings imply that content presented on social media platforms might cultivate materialistic desires and a drive for upward social comparison, ultimately impacting happiness through these indirect pathways. This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge by proposing and testing a model that links social media use with happiness directly and indirectly through the mediating roles of materialism and social comparison. The study concludes by discussing the practical implications of these findings and outlining potential directions for future research.

The impact of frequent social media use on subjective well-being has become a global concern, particularly during and after health threats. This study aimed to investigate the mediating roles of social media use and social networking motivations in the relationship between life satisfaction and perceived health threat (PHT) among emerging adults. A total of 259 participants aged 18 to 29 completed a questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics, social media use, social networking motives, life satisfaction, and perceived health threats. Participants who perceived a higher health threat reported lower life satisfaction. Excessive social media use was also linked to reduced life satisfaction. However, when social media use was motivated by genuine social connection, it was associated with higher life satisfaction. Both social media use and networking motives partially mediated the relationship between perceived health threat and life satisfaction. Emerging adults who felt more threatened by health issues tended to engage more frequently with social media, which in turn was generally associated with decreased life satisfaction. Nevertheless, when this engagement was motivated by genuine social connection, it could contribute positively to their well-being. These insights highlight the complex role of social media in shaping life satisfaction during global health threats.

Social Comparison Orientation, Hardiness and Life Satisfaction in Undergraduate Students

Given insufficient prospective evidence for relationships between social media use and well-being among adults, the present study examined the temporal sequence between social media use and psychological distress and life satisfaction, and explored age and gender differences. A representative sample of adults (N = 7331; 62.4% women; Mage = 51.94; SD = 13.48; 15–94 years) were surveyed annually across four waves. Cross-lagged panel models demonstrated bidirectional relationships between social media use and well-being. Higher psychological distress and lower life satisfaction predicted higher social media use more strongly than the reverse direction, with effects particularly pronounced for the impact of psychological distress. Although the patterns of findings were relatively consistent across age and gender, results suggested that women and middle- and older-aged adults experience detrimental effects of social media use on well-being, which may drive subsequent increased use of social media. The bidirectional relationships suggest that adults who experience psychological distress or lower life satisfaction may seek to use social media as a way to alleviate poor well-being. However, paradoxically, this maladaptive coping mechanism appears to drive increased social media use which in turn can exacerbate poor well-being. Clinicians should be aware of these bidirectional relationships and work with clients towards replacing ineffective strategies with more helpful coping approaches. As this study used a simplistic measure of social media use, future research should address this limitation and explore nuanced relationships afforded by assessing specific social media activities or exposure to certain types of content.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00127-022-02363-2.

Background: Nowadays, two social phenomena are identified as factors that significantly influence life satisfaction among adolescents: family social capital and social media use. This study aimed to investigate the direct and indirect relationships between family social capital and life satisfaction, and the possible mediating role of social media use between the variables among Iranian adolescents. Methods: In 2018, this cross-sectional study was carried out on 835 adolescents aged from 12to 19, in six high schools of Isfahan, Iran. Data were collected using a validated four-section questionnaire including demographic characteristics (3 items), life satisfaction (5 items), family social capital (31 items) and social media use (4 items) scales. IBM SPSS version 21 statistical software and AMOS version 24 were used to analyze the data. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the fit of model. The significance level of 0.05 was considered for all data analyses. Results: The findings indicated that family social capital and social media use explained 50%of the variance in life satisfaction. Social media use was found with a partial mediating role in the association between family social capital and life satisfaction. Family social capital was the strongest predictor of life satisfaction (β =0.681, P<0.001). The relationship between social media use and life satisfaction was also statistically significant (β =- 0.12, P<0.001). Conclusion: Social media use and family social capital should be considered while investigating the determinants of life satisfaction among adolescents.

How and why does the widespread use of social media affect happiness? The present study examined whether the three components of subjective well-being—positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction—were impacted by use of three of the most popular social network sites in the U.S. (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram), using the experience sampling method. Over 10 days, greater everyday use of social media resulted in lower subjective well-being—specifically, by increasing negative affective states rather than by decreasing positive states or life satisfaction—a pattern evident across all three social network sites. In evaluating why use of social media adversely impacted subjective well-being, social comparison was a strong predictor. Specifically, the more that participants reported comparing themselves to others while using social media, the less subjective well-being they subsequently experienced. In contrast, traditional, offline social interactions exerted the opposite (beneficial) effect on happiness: increasing positive affect and decreasing negative affect. The present study therefore demonstrates that ordinary, day-to-day use of social network sites adversely impacts subjective well-being over time, and further highlights the advantages of employing independent well-being measures and assessing the use of multiple sites.

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