Impact of Social Media Use on Psychological Well-Being: Self-Esteem and Social Comparison as Mediators

This study examined how active and passive social media use relate to psychological well-being in young adults, with self-esteem and social comparison as mediators. Using a cross-sectional survey of 222 participants aged 18–30, it was found that passive social media use was indirectly associated with lower well-being through increased social comparison. Social comparison negatively predicted well-being, while self-esteem was a strong positive predictor.Active social media use was not significantly related to well-being, either directly or indirectly through self-esteem. Although self-esteem strongly supported psychological well-being, it was not influenced by social media use. Overall, the findings highlight social comparison as a key mechanism linking passive social media use to poorer psychological well-being.