The presented study examines the psychological effects of social comparison on Instagram on adolescents, and its effects on body dissatisfaction, self-esteem, and mental health, including depression and anxiety. Based on social comparison theory and self-discrepancy models, the study consisted of a cross-sectional survey of 300 adolescents between ages 13 and 18 in Pakistan; public and private secondary schools. Validated psychometric tools were used to collect quantitative data, and SPSS 28.0 descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation tests, t-tests, ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze collected data. The findings indicate that greater Instagram-based social comparison is meaningfully related to elevated body dissatisfaction and mental distress and, reduced self-esteem, with female adolescents being more susceptible to such impacts. Moreover, increased Instagram usage was associated with worse measures of mental health, which is also dose-dependent. Qualitative coding of free-response items revealed key themes of comparisons to others with influencing power, validation-seeking, and fear of likes and online acceptance. These results support the importance of school-based digital literacy classes and mental health support in reducing negative impacts that Instagram has on adolescents, especially in developing nations where the proportion of youth using and digital engagement is increasing but the depth of their resources to psychologically cope is more limited.
Naqvi et al. (Sun,) studied this question.