Social Comparison and Self-Esteem among Students on Facebook

The rapid ascent of Facebook as a dominant social networking platform has had a profound impact on students' social interactions and self-perceptions. This research, anchored in Leon Festinger's Social Comparison Theory (1954), examines the relationship between Facebook usage, social comparison, and self-esteem among students. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional design, data were collected from 590 students through a structured questionnaire incorporating validated scales such as the Iowa-Netherlands Comparison Orientation Measure and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The findings indicate a positive correlation between Facebook usage and social comparison tendencies, consistent with previous studies (Vogel et al., 2014; Bonfanti et al., 2025). Moreover, social comparison is significantly negatively correlated with self-esteem, suggesting that students who frequently engage in comparisons with others tend to report lower self-worth (Irmer et al., 2023). The study also distinguishes between upward and downward comparisons, showing that upward comparisons significantly decrease self-esteem, while downward comparisons have a slight positive effect (Taylor, 2024). Regression and mediation analyses reveal that social comparison partially mediates the relationship between Facebook usage and self-esteem, aligning with findings by Bergagna and Tartaglia (2018). Additionally, the intensity of Facebook usage moderates this relationship, amplifying the negative impact of comparison on self-esteem (Wang et al., 2024). In summary, the results highlight that it is not merely the use of Facebook but the comparison processes it triggers that play a crucial role in shaping students' psychological well-being. The study underscores the need for awareness and interventions to promote healthier social media engagement among students.