Online Social Comparison and Body Dissatisfaction among Young Adults: The Role of Self-Esteem
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64229/v8xn0317Keywords:
Online Social Comparison, Body Dissatisfaction, Self-Esteem, Social Media, Young Adults, Digital Well-BeingAbstract
Body dissatisfaction has become an increasingly prevalent psychological issue among young adults within highly visual and comparison-oriented social media environments. This study examines the association between online social comparison and body dissatisfaction and investigates whether self-esteem moderates this relationship. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 428 young adults aged 18-30, all of whom were active users of visually driven social networking platforms. Participants completed validated measures of appearance-based online social comparison, body dissatisfaction, and global self-esteem. Descriptive analyses revealed substantial variability across all constructs, with relatively high levels of daily social media use and frequent exposure to curated appearance-related content. Correlational results showed that online social comparison was positively associated with body dissatisfaction, whereas self-esteem was negatively related to both variables. Multiple regression analyses confirmed that online social comparison significantly predicted higher body dissatisfaction after demographic factors were controlled. Importantly, self-esteem moderated this relationship: individuals with lower self-esteem experienced a markedly stronger association between online comparison and dissatisfaction, while the association was weaker among those with higher self-esteem. The full moderated model accounted for a meaningful proportion of variance in body dissatisfaction, underscoring the influential role of individual psychological resources in shaping responses to digital appearance pressures. These findings highlight the significance of social media as a domain for comparison-based self-evaluation and emphasize the protective function of self-esteem in mitigating negative body image outcomes. The results offer valuable implications for interventions aimed at promoting healthier social media engagement, strengthening psychological resilience, and supporting digital well-being among young adults.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Yee Hong Chong (Author)
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