Understanding Social

Comparison on Social
Media

Social media use across platforms (Facebook, Twitter,

Snapchat, Instagram, etc.) has increased drastically in
the last decade. Humans are intrinsically social creatures,
so the opportunities for connection offered by social
media have made it especially popular. Connecting with
others and scrolling through posted content are two of
the primary uses of social media.

Researchers are starting to better understand when and

how it helps mental health and connectedness, as well as
when and how it hurts these areas of life. One of the
primary discoveries is the role that social comparison
plays in our social media experience. The tendency to
compare ourselves to others is natural, but in this case,
having the tendency to notice people on social media
who we judge (subconsciously or even unconsciously) as
being better than us in key ways, often has a negative
mental and emotional health impact.
Why is social comparison on
social media important?

As social media sites update, they become more

interactive and more “addicting,” and the opportunity for
social comparison increases. This can also increase the
potential fallout: depression, anxiety, poor self-esteem,
poor body image, and disordered eating. Although
perhaps unconnected, it is worth noting that concerning
mental health trends (e.g. depression, anxiety, body
image issues), in youth worsened during the same period
of time that teen smartphone and social media use
increased. Establishing clear links between social media
use and larger mental health trends is challenging for
many reasons, it is quite clear that engaging in a lot of
negative social comparison is likely a part of these
trends.
This is because creating a false life on social media for
the sake of likes/followers can make our shortcomings or
struggles in real life seem all the more difficult and we
lose sight of what’s real. Even brief exposure to social
media can trigger social comparison, and self-evaluations
were lower when people viewed profiles of healthy or
successful people.
 What are some ways social
comparison can harm us?

Negative social comparison or the fear of missing out

(FOMO)—the worry that someone else is having a better
time or is more successful than you—can impact our
mental health in a variety of ways:

 Increased depression: Feeling envy and down on

ourselves because of what others post on social media is
associated with worsening depression.
 Decreased overall well-being: People who are heavy
users of social media (upwards of 5 hours a day) have
been shown to have a lower sense of self, suffer from
depression and even have thoughts of suicide.
 Poor body image: A crucial factor in self-esteem,
especially in adolescent development, negative self-
comparison is a common phenomenon for both men and
women on social media. While the idealized standards for
men and women’s bodies are different, both
are vulnerable to poor body-image and low self-esteem.
This is true online as well with the growing rise
in cyberbullying.
 Eating disorders: More time on social media is also
associated with the desire to change one’s body
through disordered eating habits. One pervasive
manifestation is the diet tea craze and other restrictive
“cleanses”, commonly promoted by influencers with
idealized body types and moreover, body types that have
often been distorted or edited for social media.
Does social comparison affect
some more than others?

While people of any age can be affected by social

comparison on social media, adolescents (13 – 18) and
young adults (19-24) are particularly vulnerable to the
negative effects. The main reason for this is how social
media affects the forming of our identity. Our identity is
formed by creating one that’s unique and “stands out”,
while also creating one that fits in with a social group and
allows us to feel like we belong.

Social media plays to both parts. The profile we create is

made up of the parts of our identity we like best and want
to present to the world, while the feedback we get in
terms of likes, friends, and interaction feeds our need for
belonging and acceptance.

Gender and social media

comparison
More research is needed to determine if females are truly
more affected by social media than males, but currently
we know that girls are more likely to have lower well-
being due to social media usage. This could be for a
number of reasons, but the targeting of beauty related
ads, the growing popularity of “fitspiration”/
“thinspiration” accounts, and of course the mass
adoption of filters that constantly present idealized and
unrealistic images are all ingredients. Not to mention the
prevalence of cyberbullying, especially among young
 girls. If you’re the victim of cyberbullying, or know
someone who is, there are ways to cope.
How to tell if you’re socially
comparing yourself to others

In all of these studies, the worst outcomes in terms of

negative feelings were associated with more time spent
on social media apps. So in order to minimize social
comparison, the best thing and quickest thing you can do
is to limit your time there. A few other things you can do
are:

 Be aware of your triggers: Notice which posts make you

feel down on yourself and start the comparison trap.
Consider unfollowing those people.
 Remember it’s not real: Don’t compare someone’s
outside to your inside. These posts are designed for
attention, they aren’t real life.
 Practice gratitude: Try to focus on what you do have in
your life vs. what you don’t. It can be small, but
acknowledging what you do have can be really helpful in
minimizing comparison.
 Limit social media use: Make use of apps that help you
limit your time spent on particular platforms by setting a
daily limit or times during the day when you can’t access
social media from your phone.
 Focus on the positive: Try to follow people and view posts
that inspire you, rather than those who leave you feeling
negative about yourself or others.
How to help a friend who’s socially
comparing
If you see a friend fixating on their likes or friend count,
experiencing cyberbullying, or trying detoxes or other
disordered eating habits to “look like” their favorite
influencer, it’s important to speak up. By making sure
they know how important your friendship is outside of
social media, and the importance of their physical and
emotional health, you let them know that their worth
extends offline. You can also share what you’ve learned
here and encourage them to structure their social media
use in ways that support, rather than challenge, their
mental health.
Next steps and getting the help
and support you need

Social media by itself isn’t the cause of these issues. Low

self-esteem, poor body image, and being vulnerable to
mental illness often make people more likely to seek out
validation and community through social media. As we
said earlier, positive interactions and self-expression
through social media are beneficial. However, predatory
advertisements (e.g. “thinspiration” and detox
programs), idealized lives from influencers, and
cyberbullying are the main culprits within social media
that lead to comparison and negative outcomes:
increased depression, anxiety, disordered eating, suicidal
thoughts, etc.
 If you or someone you know just can’t kick your social
media habits despite it making you feel worse, or is
struggling with your mental health separate from social
media, the most important thing you can do is ask for
help or get them help. Depression, anxiety, disordered
eating, and suicidal thoughts should never go ignored.
Find out how to get the support you need and deserve.
If you or someone you know needs help right now:
 Text HOME to 741-741 for a free, confidential
conversation with a trained counselor any time of day.
 Text or call 988 or use the chat function
at 988lifeline.org.
 If this is a medical emergency or there is immediate
danger of harm, call 911 and explain that you need
support for a mental health crisis.