Soothing Personal but Not Societal Discontent: Social Media Group Participation, Relative Deprivation, and Perceived Social Injustice in China

Debate continues on whether social media exacerbates subjective perceptions of inequality. This study distinguishes two forms: individual relative deprivation (RD, self-directed) and perceived social injustice (PSI, system-directed). Unlike prior studies focusing on general usage, we examine social media groups characterized by complex interactive and relational structures. Drawing on the 2021 Chinese Social Survey, we assess bonding, bridging, and mobilizing group participation alongside participation breadth. We further test relational psychological resources (belonging and social satisfaction) as buffering mediators, perceived conflict between the rich and the poor as an intensifying mediator, and the moderating role of online social interaction frequency. Group participation generally correlates with lower proximal and distal RD but shows no significant association with PSI. Mediation and moderation effects vary significantly by group type. These findings suggest that social media's psychological effects are not merely stratified by usage patterns, but are deeply embedded within specific relational structures and interactional contexts.