Social comparasion on social media: A study on Instagram

Today, social media sites have become an integral part of people's lives. Millions of people live on these sites and also they can share their feelings, thoughts and lives with others through these sites. It is important to examine the behavior of users on these sites where such a dense flow of information is concerned. This study, On the Instagram, which has recently increased its popularity in Turkey, In addition to revealing the factors that lead to possible social comparisons of users, It is aimed to reveal the effects of these social comparisons on the self-esteem and life satisfaction of the users. The sample of the research consists of 400 students selected from stratified sample method among the students of Fırat University. In this study, relational search model was used. In the collection of data, a questionnaire consisting of social comparison, self-esteem, life satisfaction and demographic questions was used. SPSS analysis program was used in the analysis of the data. According to the results obtained in the research, it is possible to encounter positive representations of the self on the Instagram, and this leads to the fact that the representations of the selves induce upward social comparisons and cause the persons to decrease their self esteem and life satisfaction. This causal relationship is more effective in women when examined by gender. Also, on Instagram, Participants make more upward social comparisons than on down-stream social comparisons. Another finding is that people with low self-esteem and life satisfaction in their everyday lives tend to make upward comparisons on the Instagram. Another result, participants' social comparisons of upward and reduced life satisfaction on Instagram did not show any significant difference according to their monthly incomes, the time they spent on Instagram, their Faculty and Vocational college, their the places they lived and their ages. Participants' diminished self-esteem on the Instagram did not show any significant difference according to their the time they spent on Instagram, their Faculty and Vocational college, their the places they lived and their ages, while, a significant difference was found according to the monthly incomes. According to this, participants with high monthly incomes had more self esteem reductions than those with low incomes. Key Words: Social Comparasion, Self Esteem, Life Satisfaction, Self Presentetion, Social Media, Instagram