A Study on Instagram Usage, Social Comparison, and Self-Objectification in Young Adults

Authors

  • Yusra Javed Department of Psychology, Govt. College, Lahore

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.67785/pjpp.3.71

Keywords:

Instagram Usgae, Social Comparison, Self-Objectification, Young Adults

Abstract

The aim of the study was to find out the relationship between Instagram usage, social comparison, and self-objectification in young adults. The sample comprised 150 young adults. The Social Network Usage Questionnaire (Bashir et al. 2015), the core instrument of the Iowa-Netherlands Comparison Orientation Measure (Gibbons & Buunk, 1999), and the Self-Objectification Belief and Behavior Scale (Lindner & Tantleff-Dunn, 2017) were used as measurement tools. The results were drawn using descriptive statistics of data and reliability analysis for each scale, Pearson correlation, and independent sample t-test. The correlational analysis revealed that there was a significant relationship between Instagram usage, social comparison, and self-objectification in young adults. Moreover, the independent sample t-test indicated gender differences in terms of social comparison and self-objectification in young adults. The findings of this research will help to manage the social comparison and self-objectification faced by young adults so they can learn how to manage self-objectification problems through Instagram usage.

References

Aafiya, A., Fatima, N., & Khan, S. (2021). The influence of social media on self-perception and body image among young adults. Journal of Media and Communication Studies, 13(2), 45–53. https://doi.org/10.5897/JMCS2021.0754

Ayin, D., Osei, H., & Boateng, P. (2016). Social learning theory and students’ academic performance in digital environments. International Journal of Educational Research, 78, 112–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2016.06.005

Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Prentice Hall.

Bashir, S., Malik, A., & Mahmood, K. (2015). Development and validation of the Social Network Usage Questionnaire. Pakistan Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 13(2), 45–51.

Batool, S., Rehman, M., & Zafar, T. (2023). Social media addiction, self-esteem, and body image among university students in Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Psychological Research, 38(1), 88–101. https://doi.org/10.33824/PJPR.2023.38.1.88

Borgatti, S. P., Everett, M. G., Johnson, J. C., & Agneessens, F. (2022). Analysing Social Networks Using R. Sage Publications.

Calogero, R. M., Herbozo, S., & Thompson, J. K. (2010). Pursuit of the muscular ideal: Social comparison as a mediator between muscularity concerns and body change strategies. Body Image, 7(3), 267–272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2010.03.003

Daniel, S., Bridges, S., & Martens, M. (2014). Male body image in the media: The objectification of men in advertising. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 15(4), 447–458. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034599

Dunbar, N., Mehta, R., & Brown, C. (2018). Social media exposure and self-objectification in young adults. Journal of Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 21(5), 298–304. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2018.0019

Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7(2), 117–140. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872675400700202

Fredrickson, B. L., & Roberts, T.-A. (1997). Objectification theory: Toward understanding women’s lived experiences and mental health risks. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21(2), 173–206. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.1997.tb00108.x

Garcia, E., Martens, M., & Correa, T. (2022). Daily Instagram use and state self-objectification among young women. Computers in Human Behavior, 136, 107366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107366

Gibbons, F. X., & Buunk, B. P. (1999). Individual differences in social comparison: Development of a scale of social comparison orientation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76(1), 129–142. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.76.1.129

Herman, E. A. (2022). Body Appreciation, Self-Objectification, and Self-Silencing in Romantic Relationships. Widener University.

Lindner, D., & Tantleff-Dunn, S. (2017). Self-Objectification Belief and Behavior Scale: Development and validation. Body Image, 23, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.07.002

Lippman, J. R., Ward, L. M., & Seabrook, R. C. (2017). Social comparison and self-objectification on social networking sites. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 6(4), 370–381. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000111

Liu, Y., & Bakici, T. (2019). Gender and social media engagement: A comparative study of digital participation. Computers in Human Behavior, 93, 250–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.12.021

McKinley, N. M. (2006). The developmental and cultural contexts of objectified body consciousness: A longitudinal analysis. Sex Roles, 54(3–4), 159–173. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-006-9338-1

McKinley, N. M. (2011). Feminist perspectives on body image and self-objectification. Feminism & Psychology, 21(1), 37–41. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959353510391910

Osei, H., Boateng, D., & Gyamfi, G. (2019). Social learning and digital behavior among university students: Implications for academic performance. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 22(3), 66–79.

Rollero, C. (2013). Men and women facing objectification: The effects of media models on well-being, self-esteem, and ambivalent sexism. Revista de Psicología Social, 28(3), 373–382. https://doi.org/10.1174/021347413807719166

Statista. (2020). Number of monthly active Instagram users worldwide from January 2013 to June 2020. Statista Research Department. https://www.statista.com/statistics/253577/number-of-monthly-active-instagram-users

Vartanian, L. R., Holland, E., & Silverstein, M. (2018). Instagram use and self-objectification: The mediating roles of internalization and appearance comparison. Body Image, 27, 115–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2018.08.007

Downloads

Published

2025-09-25

How to Cite

Yusra Javed. (2025). A Study on Instagram Usage, Social Comparison, and Self-Objectification in Young Adults. Pakistan Journal of Positive Psychology, 2(3), 31–36. https://doi.org/10.67785/pjpp.3.71