The Impact of Social Media on Social Comparison and Subjective Well-Being

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess the impact of social media on social comparison orientation and on subjective well- being in the youth. The sample consisted of 100 individuals of age between 18- 25 and they were selected through random sampling process. The study made use of three scales that were- Social Media Use Integration Scale (SMUIS) by Jenkins-Guarnieri, Wright, and Johnson (2013) is a ten-item Likert-type scale; Iowa-Netherlands Comparison Orientation assessment (INCOM) created by Gibbons and Buunk (1999) is a 11-item assessment; Subjective Well- Being Inventory (SWBI) by Dr. H. Sell and Dr. R. Nagpal in 1992, is 40 item scale. The correlation coefficient of social media and social comparison was 0.029923, which means that Social media can impact the social comparison orientation of person, as with the increased use of social media will lead to increased social comparison, which can be negative or positive, differing from person to person. Those with a high social comparison orientation regularly and intensely compare themselves to others. The correlation coefficient of social media and subjective well- being was -0.12783, which means that Social media can also affect subjective well- being of a person. When there is an increase in the usage of social media, there is a decrease in subjective well- being of a person. This means that because of social media there is a lower level of subjective well- being in the person. This can lead to feelings of sadness, anxiety, and stress. It can also lead to various mental health issues also, like, depression, anxiety, stress, etc. Because of this broad use of social media, people are sometimes negatively influenced by it in one way or another. When people overuse or abuse social media, their socio-psychological well-being suffers. This study highlights the need for regulation in the use of social media as it can affect an individual’s life in a negative way.