The Insta-Comparison Game: The Relationship between Social Media Use, Social Comparison, and Depression

Abstract

Instagram popularity and extended usage has been associated with several adverse outcomes towards mental health especially among youth. However, despite numerous studies on the matter, most studies often conceptualized usage on Instagram solely through frequency or time spent on Instagram. Therefore, there is a need for a more systematic study of the different types of Instagram use and their relationship with depression. Specifically, examining how active versus passive use of Instagram influence depression. This study, grounded on Social Comparison Theory, proposed a model explaining how active versus passive Instagram use relates to depression through social comparison. An online survey has been distributed on various social media platforms from December 2022 until the end of January 2023. A total of 163 responses were obtained. The model is evaluated using the structural equation modelling method. The results indicate that social comparison, which is associated with depression, is influenced by active usage and passive usage of Instagram. Furthermore, the results show that social comparison has a moderate effect size towards depression. This finding highlights the need to increase awareness among social media users to be more mindful when using social media and realize the psychological process that may detriment users' well-being.