The Serious Impact of Comparing Yourself to Others on SNS on Mental Health: Mechanisms of Inferiority, Jealousy, and Depression from Social Comparison Theory

Overview

Have you ever felt “inferior compared to myself” when seeing others’ posts on social media? This phenomenon is explained by Social Comparison Theory, and many academic studies have demonstrated that upward social comparison on social media causes depressive symptoms, anxiety, and decreased self-esteem. Based on the latest peer-reviewed academic papers published from 2023 to 2025, this article explains in detail with scientific evidence the mechanisms of how comparing yourself to others on social media affects mental health, the relationship with FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), and specific countermeasures.

1. Relationship Between Social Comparison Theory and SNS

What is Social Comparison Theory

Social Comparison Theory is a theory proposed by psychologist Leon Festinger in 1954, showing that humans tend to compare themselves with others when evaluating themselves. There are two types of comparison:

• Upward Comparison: Comparing with someone perceived as superior to oneself
• Downward Comparison: Comparing with someone perceived as inferior to oneself

Why SNS Amplifies Upward Comparison

Compared to traditional face-to-face communication, SNS provides overwhelmingly more opportunities for upward comparison. Research shows that SNS users tend to compare themselves with idealized lives of others, and this upward comparison mediates the association between problematic SNS use and depression¹.

SNS has the following characteristics:

1. Bias toward positive information: Users tend to post their successes, happy moments, and beautified daily life
2. 24/7 connection: You can peek into others’ “perfect” lives anytime
3. Large-scale comparison targets: You can compare simultaneously with hundreds or thousands of “friends”
4. Visual emphasis: On platforms like Instagram, images are central, making it easy to compare appearance and living standards

2. Mechanism by Which Jealousy Causes Depressive Symptoms

Findings from Systematic Review

A systematic review published in 2023 (Carraturo et al.) analyzed 9 studies from 2012 to 2022 and revealed that jealousy mediates social comparison on SNS and depressive symptoms².

Important Findings:

• All studies confirmed significant correlations among social comparison, jealousy, and depression
• In 3 cross-sectional studies, jealousy “partially mediated” or “fully mediated” the relationship between social comparison and depression
• In 2 longitudinal studies, depression functioned as a predictor rather than outcome, revealing that depressed individuals are more susceptible to the effects of online social comparison

Definition of Jealousy and Psychological Impact

Academically, jealousy is defined as “a complex emotion encompassing feelings of inferiority, hostility, and bitterness, arising as a contrasting response to unfavorable social comparison”².

Jealousy on SNS creates the following vicious cycle:

See others' posts → Upward comparison → Feelings of jealousy → Decreased self-esteem
→ Depressive symptoms → Check SNS more → More upward comparison

3. Impact on Self-Esteem and Well-being: Latest Research Findings

2025 Large-Scale Study

The latest research by Le Blanc-Brillon et al. (2025) from the University of Montreal conducted two independent surveys (N=139 and N=413) and quantitatively analyzed the impact of social comparison on SNS on mental health³.

Study 1 Findings:

• Upward comparison mediated the decrease in global self-esteem from Instagram use
• Data was from during the COVID-19 pandemic, and social isolation amplified the effects

Study 2 Findings (post-pandemic, multiple platforms):

• Exposure to upward comparison had negative effects on both global self-esteem and physical self-esteem
• Upward comparison positively predicted depressive symptoms
• Interestingly, frequent SNS users were less likely to engage in extreme upward comparison, partially mitigating potential harm

However, the researchers note that “these factors explain only 6-9% of the variance in mental health,” emphasizing the complexity of SNS’s impact on mental health³.

Research in Japan

Research by RIKEN showed that in a 21-day follow-up study of 418 young Japanese adults, one-to-many online communication (such as SNS browsing) significantly increased loneliness⁴.

4. The Role of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)

What is FoMO

FoMO (Fear of Missing Out) is defined as “anxiety arising from the possibility of not being able to participate in rewarding online experiences” and has attracted attention as a psychological phenomenon specific to the SNS era⁵.

Pathway from FoMO to Problematic SNS Use

Servidio et al.’s study published in 2024 investigated the relationship between FoMO and problematic SNS use among 256 Italian university students (74.4% female, ages 18-38)⁵.

Important Findings:

The study demonstrated a serial mediation model:

FoMO → Increased social comparison tendency → Decreased self-esteem → Problematic SNS use

• FoMO positively predicted social comparison tendency
• Social comparison was negatively correlated with self-esteem
• Low self-esteem was associated with problematic SNS use
• When mediating variables were included, the direct relationship from FoMO to problematic SNS use became non-significant
• This model explained 30% of the variance in problematic SNS use

Negative Effects of FoMO

Prior research has shown that FoMO is associated with:

• Distraction and decreased productivity
• Sleep disorders
• Social anxiety
• Clinical depression
• Decreased academic performance

5. Effects by Platform

Impact of Image-Centric SNS

A survey by the Royal Society for Public Health (UK) pointed out that image-focused SNS (Instagram, Snapchat, etc.) may increase feelings of inferiority and anxiety in young people⁶.

These findings suggest that the impact on mental health differs depending on platform characteristics (image-centric, one-to-one vs. one-to-many, etc.).

6. Increased Risk of Depression

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Research

Research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine revealed that people with high SNS usage frequency have a 2.7 times higher risk of depression compared to those with low usage⁶.

Researchers point out that “seeing friends’ posts on SNS creates a distorted perception that everyone else is living happy, fulfilling lives, and feelings of envy.”

University of Houston Research

The University of Houston research team published findings that increased Facebook use is closely related to depressive symptoms, triggering a psychological phenomenon known as “social comparison”⁶.

7. Countermeasures and Recommendations

Evidence-Based Countermeasures

1. Limiting Usage Time

Research from the University of Pennsylvania showed that limiting SNS use to 30 minutes or less per day significantly improved loneliness and depressive symptoms⁷.

2. Awareness of Social Comparison

• Notice when you’re comparing: When you feel inferior looking at others’ posts, recognize that it’s due to social comparison
• Understand the bias toward positive information: Recognize that SNS is a “highlight reel” showing only part of reality, not the complete picture of others’ lives

3. Practice Active Use

• Reduce passive browsing: Use with purpose rather than endlessly scrolling through others’ posts
• Prioritize one-to-one communication: Emphasize bidirectional interactions like direct messages

4. Dealing with FoMO

• Turn off notifications: Reduce the need to be constantly connected
• Prioritize real experiences: Value actual, imperfect but genuine experiences over “perfect” online experiences
• Regular digital detox: Set aside time to completely disconnect from SNS during weekends or vacations

5. Building Self-Esteem

• Have internal value standards: Evaluate yourself based on your own values and goals, not others’ evaluations
• Growth mindset: Measure growth by comparing with your past self, not with others
• Practice gratitude: Focus on what you have and record feelings of gratitude in a journal, etc.

6. Professional Support

If you experience persistent feelings of inferiority, depressive symptoms, or decreased self-esteem, it’s important to consult with mental health professionals.

Summary

This article explained the impact of comparing yourself to others on SNS on mental health, based on the latest peer-reviewed academic papers.

Key Findings Scientifically Demonstrated:

1. Upward comparison on SNS (comparing with people perceived as superior) causes jealousy, decreased self-esteem, and depressive symptoms
2. Jealousy plays an important mediating role between social comparison and depression
3. FoMO (Fear of Missing Out) leads to problematic SNS use through social comparison and decreased self-esteem
4. Image-centric SNS (Instagram, Snapchat) particularly increases feelings of inferiority
5. Depressed individuals are more susceptible to the effects of social comparison on SNS
6. Limiting SNS use to 30 minutes or less per day improves symptoms

What’s important is that others’ posts on SNS are a “highlight reel” showing only part of reality, not the complete truth. By understanding social comparison theory and noticing the moments when you’re comparing, you can reduce the negative effects of SNS on mental health.

Also, by reducing passive browsing and prioritizing one-to-one communication, you can leverage the positive aspects of SNS (connection, information sharing, support) while minimizing negative effects.

Conscious and healthy SNS use to protect your own mental health has become an essential skill for those of us living in the digital age.

References

Academic Papers

Technical Resources and Research Reports

1. Social comparisons: A potential mechanism linking problematic social media use with depression - Samra A, Warburton WA, Collins AM (2022). Journal of Behavioral Addictions. [Reliability: High] ↩︎

2. Envy, Social Comparison, and Depression on Social Networking Sites: A Systematic Review - Carraturo F, Di Perna T, Giannicola V, et al. (2023). European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 13(2), 364-376. [Reliability: High] ↩︎ ↩︎²

3. The associations between social comparison on social media and young adults’ mental health - Le Blanc-Brillon J, Fortin JS, Lafrance L, Hétu S (2025). Frontiers in Psychology, 16. [Reliability: High] ↩︎ ↩︎²

4. Elucidating the Impact of Social Media on Mental Health - RIKEN (2024). npj Mental Health Research. [Reliability: High] ↩︎

5. Fear of missing out and problematic social media use: A serial mediation model of social comparison and self-esteem - Servidio R, Soraci P, Griffiths MD, Boca S, Demetrovics Z (2024). Addictive Behaviors Reports, 19, 100536. [Reliability: High] ↩︎ ↩︎²

6. SNS and Mental Health Association - Heisei Medical Association. Summary of multiple research results in Japan. [Reliability: Medium] [Note: Recommend verifying primary sources] ↩︎ ↩︎² ↩︎³

7. No More FOMO: Limiting Social Media Decreases Loneliness and Depression - Hunt MG, Marx R, Lipson C, Young J (2018). Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 37(10), 751-768. [Reliability: High] ↩︎