Social comparison, social media, and self-esteem.
Abstract
Social networking sites (SNSs), such as Facebook, provide abundant social comparison opportunities. Given the widespread use of SNSs, the purpose of the present set of studies was to examine the impact of chronic and temporary exposure to social media-based social comparison information on self-este
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Upward social comparisons on social media may diminish self-esteem.
“Vogel, Rose, Roberts, & Eckles (2014) suggest that the extent of upward social comparisons on Facebook is greater than the extent of downward social comparisons and that upward social comparisons on social media may diminish self-esteem.”
From Social media addiction: Its impact, mediation, and intervention (2019) · cites this paper as Vogel, Rose, Roberts, & Eckles (2014)
The extent of upward social comparisons on Facebook is greater than the extent of downward social comparisons.
“Vogel, Rose, Roberts, & Eckles (2014) suggest that the extent of upward social comparisons on Facebook is greater than the extent of downward social comparisons and that upward social comparisons on social media may diminish self-esteem.”
From Social media addiction: Its impact, mediation, and intervention (2019) · cites this paper as Vogel, Rose, Roberts, & Eckles (2014)
Social media may contribute to social comparison, potentially lowering self-esteem.
“Social media may also contribute to social comparison, potentially lowering self-esteem [8].”
From Long-Term Consequences of Time Spent on Social Media in Adolescence on Mental Health in Young Adulthood: A Cohort Study From Sweden. (2026) · cites this paper as [8]
Societal expectations pressure young males to maintain emotional stoicism, discouraging them from seeking support; this reluctance can lead to increased social withdrawal and depressive symptoms.
“Societal expectations often pressure young males to maintain emotional stoicism, discouraging them from seeking support. This reluctance can lead to increased social withdrawal and contribute to depressive symptoms [43].”
From The Impact of Social Media & Technology on Child and Adolescent Mental Health (2025) · cites this paper as [43]
Frequent engagement with appearance-focused content can exacerbate self-consciousness and social withdrawal, worsening anxiety in social situations.
“Moreover, frequent engagement with appearance-focused content can exacerbate self-consciousness and social withdrawal, worsening anxiety in social situations [43].”
From The Impact of Social Media & Technology on Child and Adolescent Mental Health (2025) · cites this paper as [43]
The Instagram usage measure in Study 1 had acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.87).
“This self-reported questionnaire was adapted from the Facebook usage questionnaire in Vogel et al. (2014) and consists of 5 items (Cronbach’s alpha (α) = 0.87)”
From The associations between social comparison on social media and young adults’ mental health (2025) · cites this paper as Vogel et al. (2014)
Frequent use of SNSs is linked to an increase in upward comparisons.
“Studies have consistently shown that frequent use of SNSs is linked to an increase in these upward comparisons (Gomez et al., 2022; Schmuck et al., 2019; Vogel et al., 2014).”
From The associations between social comparison on social media and young adults’ mental health (2025) · cites this paper as Vogel et al., 2014
Negative social comparison on social media has been correlated with poor self-perceptions, low self-esteem, and perceived inferiority.
“Numerous studies have correlated negative social comparison on social media with poor self-perceptions, low self-esteem, and perceived inferiority (de Vries & Kühne, 2015; Feinstein et al., 2013; Vogel et al., 2014).”
From Problematic social media use and inhibitory control among post-secondary students (2025) · cites this paper as Vogel et al., 2014
Facebook affords users various tools for social comparison.
“In addition, several studies suggest that Facebook affords users various tools for social comparison (Haferkamp & Krämer, 2011; Vogel et al., 2014).”
From The reciprocal and indirect relationships between passive Facebook use, comparison on Facebook, and adolescents' body dissatisfaction (2017) · cites this paper as Vogel et al., 2014
Social comparison might lead to lower self-esteem, and the size of one's real social network to be successfully handled seems limited by Dunbar's number, likely also valid on social media channels such as Twitter.
“Without doubt, the social comparison process is not unproblematic, because it might lead to lower self-esteem [79] and the size of one’s own real social network to be successfully handled seems to be limited by the so called Dunbar’s number (a theoretical limit to the number of people with whom any individual is able to sustain a stable or meaningful social relationship, usually considered to be”
From Addictive Features of Social Media/Messenger Platforms and Freemium Games against the Background of Psychological and Economic Theories (2019) · cites this paper as [79]
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- Authors
- Vogel, E. A., Rose, J. P., Roberts, L. R., & Eckles, K.
- Venue
- Psychology of Popular Media Culture
- Published
- 2014-10
- Volume
- 3
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 206-222
- ISSN
- 2160-4134 (ISSN-L)
- 2160-4142
- OpenAlex
- W2314000390
- Cited by
- 1,418
- References
- 65
- Citations by year
- 2026: 251 · 2025: 221 · 2024: 191 · 2023: 159 · 2022: 139 · 2021: 131 · 2020: 136 · 2019: 82 · 2018: 49 · 2017: 31 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 63.87
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychology of Popular Media Culture (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Body Image and Dysmorphia Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Keywords
- social comparison, social media, self-esteem, social networking sites, Facebook, long-term exposure
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