What does this information mean?
Comparison is not new
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While it is basically a part of human nature to compare ourselves to others, as the studies and articles have shown, social media has made comparison much easier and given people an outlet to share their feelings when they are comparing themselves to someone. Most people don't even realize that they are doing it because they are so focused on what they are seeing on the screen. We carry our phones everywhere and always have access to social media platforms. We use social media when we're bored and as entertainment. Of course, people have compared themselves to others before social media was created, but now we have access to platforms that allow us to compare at all times. Every time you refresh your social media feed, a new photo shows up. The picture might have been heavily edited or staged, but the person seeing it might not be aware of that. This makes it too easy for someone to lower their self-esteem and feel bad about themselves. In the past, comparing yourself to someone else might have been a more conscious decision, but with social media, it has become second nature for many people.
Most social media users experience these feelings
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Feeling like you have to compare yourself to others is not something that only impacts teenagers or young adults. Social media can cause mental health issues for everyone using it. As explained in both studies and the articles, everyone is comparing themselves to others online, whether they realize it or not. The pictures people post make it seem like they are always happy, always busy, and always look perfect. This can affect people at any age and can lead to feelings of anxiety and depression. According to the Reer study, FOMO and comparing yourself to others is closely linked to mental health issues that come from using social media. It is important to be aware of how social media makes you feel while you are using it because sometimes you might not even realize the impact it has. Using social media can make people feel like their life is boring and worse than the life of those around them. The MindWise article referred to social media as a "highlight reel," meaning that people are only posting what they are proud of and what they want to share. Keeping this in mind while using social media could be helpful in holding yourself back from comparing yourself or at least being able to catch yourself when you are doing it.
How can we avoid comparing ourselves to others?
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Today, it is nearly impossible to completely stay away from social media. As the WellBeing article mentioned, using it is part of our daily routine and we are constantly attached to our phones. However, as demonstrated in the Tiggerman study, making people aware of the falseness behind social media pictures is already an easy fix. Women feel more comfortable in their own bodies when they see pictures they can relate to and see people that look like them, not pictures that are overly staged and edited. By making it clear that a picture has been altered, people will know that it's not real and will be less likely to compare themselves to it. Another way to make this change is by not worrying about posting only the "perfect" picture. Many Instagram users have started "casually posting" on Instagram. This means that they post a picture just because they want to, not because they look great in it and have edited it so it looks perfect. If everyone started being more casual and less worried about what they post online, fewer people would feel like they have to compare themselves to what they see on social media.
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It is also important that people become more aware of how much time they are actually spending online. The Reer study showed that those who spent more time online suffer more mentally and are more likely to compare themselves to others. Many people spend several hours a day scrolling through social media, which could be impacting their mental health. Setting screen time limits, or even taking a day or two to take a break from social media can help. Doing a "digital detox" has become common over the last few years, especially during the pandemic. Since everyone was home, many people felt like they were spending too much time online and needed a break. According to an article from Very Well Mind, digital detoxes can reduce stress, improve sleep, and reduce FOMO, which leads to less comparison. During the pandemic, it was especially hard to stop yourself from comparing your life to others. While someone was sitting at home to protect themselves from COVID, their friends might have been on vacation. Seeing posts like this can be challenging and could make someone feel like their life isn't as good as their friend's. Digital detoxes can help with these kinds of feelings and can help you take a step back and realize how social media is affecting you mentally.
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