Associations between youth's daily social media use and well-being are mediated by upward comparisons

Social media's pervasive influence on young people's lives raises concerns regarding its impact on their well-being. Existing research presents inconsistent findings, ranging from positive to negative associations between social media use and well-being, with many studies employing cross-sectional designs. This inconsistency highlights the need for within-person studies capable of distinguishing between-person and within-person effects, along with investigations into potential mediating mechanisms. This study directly addresses this gap by employing a 14-day diary study to assess daily social media use and its relationship with various dimensions of subjective well-being (positive/negative self-worth, positive/negative affect) in a sample of 10-to-14-year-olds. The study also investigates upward social comparisons as a proposed mediator of the link between social media use and well-being, considering its potential role in explaining the heterogeneous findings across previous research. The age group was chosen due to the increasing prevalence of social media use among children around age 10 and the critical period for self-development and identity formation during middle childhood. The researchers also hypothesized potential moderators, including sex, self-control failure concerning social media, and social comparison orientation, to investigate why some youths may be more susceptible to the negative effects of social media than others. The study's design, focusing on daily assessments in real-world contexts, enhances its ecological validity, which is crucial for providing insights that can inform effective interventions and preventive measures.

Meta-analyses and reviews on the relationship between social media use and adolescent well-being generally show a small negative association. However, a significant heterogeneity exists in these findings, prompting calls for research designs that can assess within-person associations and investigate potential mediating and moderating variables. While some studies have found links between daily social media use and specific behavioral issues like attention or hyperactivity, others found no significant relationships between daily social media use and overall mental health symptoms. The inconsistency highlights the importance of considering person-specific effects and potential mechanisms like social comparison. Upward social comparison, the process of comparing oneself to individuals perceived as superior, has been proposed as a key mechanism linking social media use to lower self-esteem and mood. Existing research largely involves older adolescents or adults, leaving a gap in understanding the mediating role of upward social comparisons in younger age groups. The researchers therefore highlight the need to examine this within a specific age group (10-14 years old), given that research suggests this is a particularly susceptible period to the potential negative impacts of social media.

A daily diary study was conducted over 14 days with 200 children and young adolescents (ages 10-14) in Germany. Participants provided daily self-reports on their social media use (Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube), assessing the amount of use on a 5-point scale. Subjective well-being was measured using scales assessing positive and negative self-worth and positive and negative affect. Upward social comparisons were measured by assessing participants' general daily impression of others having a better life. Potential moderators included sex, self-control failure regarding social media use, and social comparison orientation (ability and opinion facets). Multilevel confirmatory factor analyses (MCFAs) were employed to establish the reliability and validity of the newly developed scales. Multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) was used to investigate within-person and between-person associations. A multilevel mediation model was also employed to analyze the mediating role of upward social comparisons in the relationship between social media use and well-being. Finally, moderator analyses were performed to examine the influence of person-level variables on the associations. Data were analyzed using Mplus Version 8.887, with Bayesian estimation and multiple Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) chains used to ensure model convergence. The study protocol, codebook, data, and analysis codes were made available through the Open Science Framework (OSF). Ethical considerations included informed consent from both children and parents. The study was approved by the ethics committee of the DIPF Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education.

The study revealed several key findings. First, daily social media use was significantly associated with lower positive self-worth and higher negative self-worth on a daily basis, while the effects on daily positive and negative affect were non-significant at the within-person level. However, at the between-person level, average social media use was negatively associated with positive self-worth and positive affect, and positively associated with negative self-worth and negative affect. Second, social media use positively predicted upward social comparisons at both the between-person and within-person levels. Third, upward social comparisons consistently predicted all four dimensions of subjective well-being (positive/negative self-worth, positive/negative affect) both between and within individuals. Fourth, multilevel mediation analyses showed that upward social comparisons fully mediated the between-person effects of social media use on well-being. At the within-person level, the effect of social media use on self-worth was partially mediated by upward social comparisons. Finally, the moderation analyses found only one significant interaction: the negative effect of upward social comparisons on positive affect was weaker for those reporting a strong reliance on the opinion of others (higher social comparison orientation concerning opinions). However, the authors suggest that this result should be viewed cautiously due to the high number of tests conducted.

The findings demonstrate a significant association between social media use and decreased well-being, particularly through the mediating role of upward social comparisons. These results emphasize that the negative impacts of social media are not simply due to the amount of time spent on it, but rather through the lens of social comparison. On a daily basis, increased social media use led to a greater feeling that others had better lives, ultimately influencing self-worth and potentially mood. This study provides strong evidence supporting the importance of considering upward social comparison as a crucial pathway linking social media use to diminished well-being, particularly in the context of daily life. The study challenges assertions that within-person associations between social media use and well-being are negligible, showcasing meaningful within-person effects on self-worth, although effects on affect were less pronounced. The partial mediation of social media’s impact by upward social comparison highlights the complex interplay between these factors and emphasizes the importance of addressing this cognitive process in interventions.

This study provides robust evidence for the mediating role of upward social comparisons in the relationship between daily social media use and subjective well-being among 10-to-14-year-olds. The findings highlight the importance of considering social comparison processes in interventions aiming to mitigate the potential negative impacts of social media on youth mental health. Future research should investigate the role of active versus passive social media use, the effects of specific platforms, and the longitudinal development of this relationship. Further research could also incorporate methods to assess the directionality of the relationships between social media use, social comparison, and well-being.

The study's limitations include using a convenience sample, potentially limiting generalizability. The aggregation of data across multiple social media platforms may mask platform-specific effects. The reliance on self-reported data could lead to biases, and the correlational nature of the study limits causal inferences. The specific time frame of the study during the COVID-19 pandemic could have influenced the findings. Finally, the study did not differentiate between active and passive social media use, limiting a more nuanced understanding of how different uses affect upward social comparison and well-being.