Social comparison experiences of youth in the 1990s versus 2020s

What is it about?

College students from the same university—one cohort from 1997–1998 and another from 2024–2025—used “experience sampling” diaries to describe a total of 4,660 real-life experiences of comparing themselves to others. There were sizable differences between the two cohorts: Compared to their 1990s counterparts, students in the 2020s were more prone to compare automatically, compare with distant rather than close others, compare upward with others’ desirable attributes, and feel worse about themselves while making comparisons. The 2020s cohort also reported lower self-esteem and higher levels of depression. The social comparisons the 2020s cohort made while using social media were particularly liable to be upward comparisons with distant targets that left them feeling insecure and disconnected.

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Why is it important?

This study is the first direct test of whether social comparisons have changed since the advent of social media. Collectively, the results suggested that social media comparisons could be one driver of the observed generational differences in everyday social comparison experiences and psychological well-being.