Social Comparison, Envy, and Depression on Facebook: A Study Looking at the Effects of High Comparison Standards on Depressed Individuals

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.

I Want to Have What You Have and I Do Not Want You to Have It

“…This finding in the present study is consistent with the finding obtained in a German sample (Appel et al, 2015) or in an American sample (Smith et al, 1999). Regarding the association between envy and optimism, there was a significant negative correlation, which implies that those who are low on optimism have a tendency to be envious of others.…”

“…Those self-beliefs may both buffer negative comparisons and make people perceive their life as valuable and positive. A previous study suggested a relationship between envy and self-esteem (Appel, Crusius, & Gerlach, 2015). Together, this evidence points to the possibility that envy is negatively related to optimism and self-esteem.…”

Social Networking Sites, Depression, and Anxiety: A Systematic Review

“…Several studies found that Facebook envy, a hostile evaluation of others from their social information on SNSs, is associated with higher ratings of depressive symptoms [78,116]. Lee [114] found that depression and anxiety were positively related to the frequency of social comparison on Facebook.…”

“…Appel et al [116] examined how depression may influence an SNS user’s interpretation of the profile information of other users. Individuals with depression were more likely to rate themselves as being unhappier (or inferior) in comparison with profiles of any type (attractive or unattractive) than those without depression.…”

Social Comparison as the Thief of Joy: Emotional Consequences of Viewing Strangers’ Instagram Posts

“…Also, in an experiment among 112 female students and staff members of a university participants (aged 17-25) reported a more negative mood balance after using social media platform Facebook than after using a control website (Fardouly et al, 2015). Furthermore, in one quasi-experiment among 89 depressed and non-depressed adults, individuals who viewed profiles of attractive peers (in terms of job and education, friends, likes, and comments) reported more envy than those who viewed unattractive profiles (Appel, Crusius, & Gerlach, 2015). Moreover, Haferkamp and Krämer (2011) performed an experiment with 91 participants (mean age 22.5) and found that people who viewed profiles of physically attractive others reported decreased positive affect in comparison to those viewing unattractive others.…”