Trapped in Online Comparisons: Within Reciprocal Dynamic of Self-Assessment Motivation and Depressive State on Social Media

Most research regarding social comparisons on social media has been limited demonstrating their effects on mental health, without explaining the underlying motivational mechanics. It appears that individuals are often motivated to reduce uncertainty about the self. Social media may serve as a tool to access diagnostic information through social comparison. However, because these platforms predominantly exposed to upward comparisons, individuals motivated to self-assess with social comparisons on social media might be negatively impacted, leading to lower mental health. Furthermore, depressive symptoms might also be more motivated to self-assess, thereby exacerbating their lower mental health. This suggests that depressive symptoms can act as both an antecedent and a consequence of self-assessment motivation (SAM). To examine these reciprocal effects, we conducted a 14-day diary study testing our model using dynamic structural equation modeling. The results revealed a reciprocal association between depressive state and SAM, where the previous depressive state was associated with more SAM, and SAM was associated with more depressive state in return, supporting the existence of a vicious cycle.