The effects of social comparison orientation on psychological well-being in social networking sites: Serial mediation of
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The effects of social comparison orientation on psychological well-being in social networking sites: Serial mediation of perceived social support and self-esteem Jin Kyun Lee 1 Accepted: 9 October 2020 # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract This study investigates the effects of the social comparison orientation in social networking sites on psychological well-being. In particular, it examines the mediation effect of perceived social support and self-esteem in the relationship between social comparison orientation and psychological well-being. Data were collected through an online survey with 236 participants in South Korea. The results showed that social comparison orientation negatively influenced psychological well-being. In the relationship between social comparison orientation and psychological well-being, perceived social support had no mediation effect, self-esteem had a significant negative mediation effect, and perceived social support and self-esteem had a negative serial mediation effect. The social comparison orientation in social networking sites could elicit negative emotions, which decrease perceived social support, self-esteem, and psychological well-being. Theoretical and practical implications as well as suggestions for future studies are discussed in detail. Keywords Social comparison orientation . Psychological well-being . Perceived social support . Self-esteem . Social networking sites . SNSs
Social networking sites (SNSs) have become a major channel of daily communication. In 2020, adult social network users in the United States are expected to spend 82 min per day on SNSs, a significant increase from the average daily duration of 76 min predicted in 2019 (Williamson 2020). Partly due to the coronavirus pandemic, contactless social and economic activities have risen drastically on a global scale. Excessive selfdisclosure in SNSs has become a means of connecting with and supporting each other while practicing social distancing during the pandemic (Gao et al. 2020; Nabity-Grover et al. 2020). Studies have shown that while self-disclosure and active interaction with others might be related to better wellbeing and positive mental states, excessive SNS engagement could be associated with poor well-being, loneliness, anxiety, and depression (Hunt et al. 2018; Liu et al. 2019; Reer et al. 2019; Vahedi and Zannella 2019).
* Jin Kyun Lee [email protected] 1
School of Advertising & Public Relations, Hongik University, B303-1, 2639, Sejong-ro, Jochiwon-eup, Sejong-si 30016, South Korea
Few attempts have been made to identify the underlying mechanisms of how the social comparison orientation in SNSs systematically affects individuals’ psychological well-being. Social comparison orientation refers to individual differences in the inclination to compare oneself with others (Gibbons and Buunk 1999). Research has found that SNSs can decrease psychological well-being due to unfavorable social comparison or envy (Krasnova et al. 2013; Verduyn et al. 2015). Speci
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