In my earlier blog post ‘Studies Link Facebook With Social Comparison and Depression‘, I shared the report on two fascinating studies published last October in the ‘Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology.’ These studies showed a correlation between Facebook use and the tendency to compare ourselves to others and thus become depressed. A new but related study was published in April this year, again in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology. This study focused on the role social media plays in fomenting envy in our hearts.
Here is the summary from the article’s abstract:
The co-occurrence of depression and envy is both plausible and empirically established. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying this correlation. An account is proposed according to which low self-esteem in depressed individuals leads to upward social comparison and thus makes envy more likely. This effect should frequently occur in online social networks like Facebook because they allow for easy impression management and hence provide high comparison standards. In a quasi-experimental online study, depressed and nondepressed participants indicated their self-esteem and were then presented with specifically set up Facebook profiles that were either attractive or unattractive. Participants were asked to compare themselves to the profile owner and to report their resulting feelings of inferiority and envy. Depressed participants were more envious, especially after seeing the attractive profile. Envy was associated with higher self-reported inferiority and also correlated negatively with self-esteem. The connection between depression and envy is demonstrated with an experimental elicitation of envy for the first time. The results strongly suggest that low self-esteem and consequent feelings of inferiority play a crucial role in depressed individuals’ elevated levels of envy. Practical implications and limitations are discussed.
Further Reading
- Studies Link Facebook With Social Comparison and Depression
- Social Comparison, Envy, and Depression on Facebook
- Seeing Everyone Else’s Highlight Reels: How Facebook Usage is Linked to Depressive Symptoms
- The Worldview of Facebook
- Robin’s Blog Posts about Gratefulness
- McLuhan and the Internet
- More About The Shallows
- The Internet and Neuroscience
- Sherry Turkle on Being Alone Together