"I Look Up, I Look Down": Assessing Antecedents and Consequents of Social Media Social Comparison.

Computer-mediated social comparisons have been identified as a threat to psychological well-being. Because online friends selectively self-present, social comparisons may be biased upward and produce feelings of inadequacy. However, existing evidence consistently confounded causes or outcomes of social comparison with social comparison itself. The present survey examines how traits, motivations, selectivity, and mood management influence both downward and upward social comparison on social media, and how patterns of comparison influence affect, self-esteem, and misperceptions of others. Results indicated age, social comparison orientation, mood modification, selectivity, and Facebook usage intensity predicted social comparisons. Younger, more frequent users made more upward comparisons, while mood modifiers made more downward comparisons. Comparing upward boosted negative affect, harmed self-esteem, and produced pluralistic ignorance. In contrast, downward comparison enhanced self-esteem and reduced pluralistic ignorance about actual friends. Findings illustrate differential predictors and effects of downward and upward social comparison, and their distinct beneficial and harmful effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]