Lakhasly

The Social Comparison Theory posits that people assess their own ability, opinions, and physical attractiveness by making a comparison with other individuals.Some would argue that glamour and celebrity lead not to upward comparison for all, but to a way of classifying oneself as part of the perceived glamorous group, thereby creating a division between ?us' and ?them', enhancing self?-esteem without requiring direct social comparison.??FOMO is associated with increased levels of anxiety and depression, particularly among adolescents who are more susceptible to peer influence (Shimoga et al., 2019; Lelisho et al., 2022)."Social identity theory suggests that as individuals when we refer to ourselves as 'us' or 'we,' this is guided by our group memberships ?-? social categories such as ? ?'university ? ?student,' ? ?'football ? ?supporter,' ? ?'northerner,' ? ?'Muslim,' ? ?'woman,' ? ?'engineer,' ? ?'charity worker,' etc."In contrast, cyberbullying refers to the aggressive behavior that occurs within the digital theater through the use of information and communicationtechnologies-enabled communication tools, such as social media, email, instant messaging, or chat rooms.Cyberbullying can lead to severe psychological distress, including anxiety, depression, and in extreme cases, suicidal ideation (Seabrook et al., 2016; "The Impact of Using Social Media on the Mental ? ?Health ? ?of ? ?Adolescents", ??SCT contends that the desire for accurate self-evaluation is one of the primary human motivations; and we do so through comparing ourselves?--?whether physical appearance, lifestyle, economic status, or achievements?--to others.?images for the information they provide, and if advertisers are selecting and creating imagery for its value in creating aspirations, this creates a circular journey by pointing out that some consumers will want to ??idealized images presented online ??(Hou et al., ?2021).??-?????????2023).?2023).??2020; ? ?2022).?????2020).????

The Social Comparison Theory posits that people assess their own ability, opinions, and physical
attractiveness by making a comparison with other individuals. Social comparison Theory posits that
individuals ‭ ‬determine their ‭ ‬own ‭ ‬social ‭ ‬and personal ‭ ‬worth ‭ ‬based ‭ ‬on how they ‭ ‬stack ‭ ‬up against
others. This theory is particularly relevant in the context of social media, where users are constantly
exposed to curated representations of others' lives. Research indicates that frequent engagement with
social media can ‭ ‬lead to ‭ ‬negative self-evaluations ‭ ‬and feelings ‭ ‬of inadequacy, ‭ ‬particularly when
users compare ‭ ‬themselves to the ‭ ‬idealized images presented online ‭ ‬(Hou et al., ‭ ‬2019; Sen et a ‭e ‬
2021). This ‭ ‬phenomenon can exacerbate mental health issues ‭ ‬such ‭ ‬as anxiety and ‭ ‬depression, as
individuals may feel pressured to meet unrealistic standards (Beyari, 2023).

This inherently ‭ ‬leads to positive or negative emotions ‭ ‬based on ‭ ‬the beliefs of ‭ ‬how they imagine
themselves relative ‭ ‬to other ‭ ‬individuals. Comparing oneself to ‭ ‬more capable individuals ‭ ‬result in
low ‭ ‬self-worth, which ‭ ‬may lead ‭ ‬to dissatisfaction, ‭ ‬depression, or ‭ ‬anxiety. ‭ ‬At its very core, ‭ ‬SCT
contends that the desire for accurate self-evaluation is one of the primary human motivations; and
we do so through comparing ourselves‭—‬whether physical appearance, lifestyle, economic status, or
achievements‭—to others. Perceived media advertisements or images provide epistemic utility—‬
value other than merely social comparison‭—‬which is value in being seen as informative‭—‬wherein
looking more ‭ ‬like idealized ‭ ‬media depictions ‭ ‬offers information ‭ ‬about the kind ‭ ‬of life ‭ ‬one could
lead. The average person on the street today sees more advertising in a year than people did 50 years
ago, but to whom are they comparing themselves? In terms of physical appearance, one answer is
celebrities‭—stars who, at least superficially, exemplify ‗the good life‘. If other consumers are ‬
selecting and consuming ‭ ‬images for the information they provide, and if advertisers are selecting
and creating imagery for its value in creating aspirations, this creates a circular journey by pointing
out that some consumers will want to ‭ ‬look more perfect if that gives them information about the
kind of life they can lead. This can then inflate the demand for images of more perfect people‭—‬and
change ‭ ‬social ‭ ‬norms ‭ ‬by ‭ ‬making ‭ ‬those ‭ ‬images ‭ ‬more ‭ ‬widespread, ‭ ‬creating ‭ ‬further ‭ ‬aspirational
demand. Some would argue that glamour and celebrity lead not to upward comparison for all, but to a way of classifying oneself as part of the perceived glamorous group, thereby creating a division
between ‗us‘ and ‗them‘, enhancing self‭-esteem without requiring direct social comparison.‬

Social Identity Theory
The researchers carried out a series of experiments in 1971 with 64 boys from Bristol, England, aged
14 to 15, to establish social identity theory. "Social identity theory suggests that as individuals when
we refer to ourselves as 'us' or 'we,' this is guided by our group memberships ‭–‬ social categories such
as ‭ ‬'university ‭ ‬student,' ‭ ‬'football ‭ ‬supporter,' ‭ ‬'northerner,' ‭ ‬'Muslim,' ‭ ‬'woman,' ‭ ‬'engineer,' ‭ ‬'charity
worker,' etc." It follows that "by categorizing ourselves into certain social groups and viewing other
social ‭ ‬groups as different from ‭ ‬ourselves, we ‭ ‬favor our ‭ ‬group by ‭ ‬manipulating ‭ ‬our similarity ‭ ‬to
others (intergroup discrimination)." Social identity theory is therefore a theory that has been used to
explain the foundations and implementation of social groups and categories. Social identity theory
provides a social psychological explanation of intergroup behavior.
Essential components of social identity theory: There are three fundamental components of social
identity theory, namely personal identity, social identity, and social categorization. Categorization is
the first component of social identity theory, describing how we identify and group ourselves based
on social categorizations. Cultural groups, racial backgrounds, gender, age, religious, and political
beliefs are ‭ ‬just a ‭ ‬few examples of ‭ ‬groups that ‭ ‬we identify with ‭ ‬and self-categorize. ‭ ‬Since social
categories are a cornerstone of social identity theory, it follows that individuals will either compare
and ‭ ‬distinguish ‭ ‬themselves ‭ ‬from ‭ ‬'in-group' ‭ ‬members ‭ –‬ ‭ ‬those ‭ ‬who ‭ ‬belong ‭ ‬to ‭ ‬the ‭ ‬same ‭ ‬social
categories as themselves, or compare and distinguish themselves from 'out-group' members ‭–‬ those
who do not belong to the same social categories. In doing so, two forms of comparison are formed ‭–‬ social identity and personal identity.

Psychological Mechanisms
Extensive evidence ‭ ‬has ‭ ‬documented that ‭ ‬social comparison ‭ ‬processes contribute ‭ ‬to mental health
problems. Early theories suggest that individuals require some external reference to evaluate their
qualities and abilities. In the absence of objective benchmarks for social comparison, individuals are
therefore motivated to ‭ ‬turn to ‭ ‬other people ‭ ‬to reflect ‭ ‬upon ‭ ‬and ‭ ‬evaluate themselves. Feelings of ‭e ‬
financial insecurity promote downward social comparison and the tendency to compare oneself with
those who are worse off. Over time, the structure available for downward comparison has changed:
in ‭ ‬modern society, the ‭ ‬availability of upward ‭ ‬comparisons is ‭ ‬strongly increased through ‭ ‬modern
technology and social media. Objecting oneself to the lives of exceptional individuals is stimulating
upward comparison.
Previous research has suggested that the comparison effects of social network services differ from traditional mainstream media ‭ ‬by interfering with users' ability to ‭ ‬distinguish between fantasy and reality. Despite people using social network services to meet their psychological needs, research also emphasizes users' withdrawal from consciously viewing material that was perceived as making them feel ‭ ‬bad. ‭ ‬So ‭ ‬far, ‭ ‬it ‭ ‬remains ‭ ‬unclear ‭ ‬whether ‭ ‬such ‭ ‬withdrawal ‭ ‬attempts ‭ ‬effectively ‭ ‬improve psychological well-being. The ‭ ‬processed information ‭ ‬still exists at ‭ ‬the users' ‭ ‬mental ‭ ‬inlet, and ‭ ‬it remains unclear ‭ ‬when follies and chum ‭ ‬curation become more ‭ ‬demanding rather than ‭ ‬contextual expectations.

FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
Described ‭ ‬as ‭ ‬―a ‭ ‬pervasive ap‭prehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from ‬
which ‭ ‬one ‭ ‬is ‭ ‬absent,‖ ‭ ‬FOMO ‭ ‬is ‭ ‬a ‭ ‬condition ‭ ‬that ‭ ‬directly ‭ ‬impacts ‭ ‬individuals‘ ‭ ‬feelings ‭ ‬about
themselves and their thoughts about what they are (or are not) doing. This foreshadowed and could
well explain social media‘s concomitant support of self‭-esteem and confidence among users, while ‬
narratives continue to assert that social media makes users feel less confident about their choices and
accomplishments. Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is another psychological construct that has gained
prominence in discussions about social media and mental health. FOMO refers to the anxiety that
arises from the belief that others are having rewarding experiences from which one is absent. This
feeling can drive excessive social ‭ ‬media use, ‭ ‬as individuals seek to stay connected and informed
about others' ‭ ‬activities (Mahevish, ‭ ‬2023; Zhong et al., 2020). ‭ ‬Studies have ‭ ‬shown that ‭ ‬FOMO is
associated with increased levels of anxiety and depression, particularly among adolescents who are
more susceptible to peer influence (Shimoga et al., 2019; Lelisho et al., 2022).
FOMO ‭ ‬describes ‭ ‬the ‭ ‬perception ‭ ‬of ‭ ‬peer ‭ ‬engagement ‭ ‬with, ‭ ‬and ‭ ‬personal ‭ ‬appropriation ‭ ‬of, ‭ ‬the
perceived ‭ ‬self-relevant ‭ ‬values ‭ ‬of ‭ ‬an ‭ ‬external ‭ ‬social ‭ ‬event. ‭ ‬Individuals ‭ ‬experience ‭ ‬a ‭ ‬subjective
impression that others are enjoying a ‭ ‬socially desirable trajectory that is unique ‭ ‬to themselves. A
FOMO locus involves the perception of ‭ ‬expected positive emotions derived from interacting with
others; ‭ ‬specifically, ‭ ‬those ‭ ‬experiencing ‭ ‬FOMO ‭ ‬appear ‭ ‬to ‭ ‬possess ‭ ‬a ‭ ‬threatened ‭ ‬need ‭ ‬to ‭ ‬belong, leading to states of need ‭ ‬dissatisfaction and low levels of ‭ ‬relatedness, competence, and autonomy need ‭ ‬satisfaction. ‭ ‬Such ‭ ‬states ‭ ‬correlate ‭ ‬highly ‭ ‬with ‭ ‬associated ‭ ‬problems, ‭ ‬including ‭ ‬emotional suppression, social withdrawal, and the inability to relax and sleep

Cyberbullying
First ‭ ‬identified ‭ ‬in ‭ ‬the ‭ ‬early ‭ ‬21st ‭ ‬century, ‭ ‬traditional ‭ ‬bullying ‭ ‬has ‭ ‬a ‭ ‬real-life ‭ ‬basis ‭ ‬with ‭ ‬a ‭ ‬clear
demarcation of the ‭ ‬bully and the ‭ ‬victim who engages in face-‭to‬-face communication. In contrast,
cyberbullying refers to the aggressive behavior that occurs within the digital theater through the use
of information and communicationtechnologies-enabled communication tools, such as social media,
email, instant messaging, or chat rooms. Cyberbullying is driven by various social media behaviors,
including sharing rumors, sending threatening messages, posting mean material, hiding or deleting
friends, and sending ‭ ‬insulting messages, which can go ‭ ‬viral and be ‭ ‬disseminated worldwide. ‭ ‬The
defining issue ‭ ‬that separates cyberbullying from ‭ ‬bullying is ‭ ‬the inverse ‭ ‬of anonymity, where the
victim knows the identity of the perpetrator but the ‭ ‬bully hides behind the shield ‭ ‬of a formidable
audience. ‭ ‬One ‭ ‬of ‭ ‬the ‭ ‬most ‭ ‬concerning ‭ ‬negative ‭ ‬impacts ‭ ‬of ‭ ‬social ‭ ‬media ‭ ‬is ‭ ‬the ‭ ‬prevalence ‭ ‬of
cyberbullying and harassment. Research indicates that social media is a primary platform for such
behaviors, with significant implications for the mental health of victims (Halim et al., 2023; Jiang, ‭e ‬
2023). Cyberbullying can lead to severe psychological distress, including anxiety, depression, and in
extreme cases, suicidal ideation (Seabrook et al., 2016; "The Impact of Using Social Media on the
Mental ‭ ‬Health ‭ ‬of ‭ ‬Adolescents", ‭ ‬2023). ‭ ‬The ‭ ‬anonymity ‭ ‬afforded ‭ ‬by ‭ ‬social ‭ ‬media ‭ ‬can ‭ ‬embolden
perpetrators, making ‭ ‬it easier ‭ ‬for them ‭ ‬to engage in harmful ‭ ‬behaviors without ‭ ‬facing immediate
consequences ‭ ‬(Sadagheyani& ‭ ‬Tatari, ‭ ‬2020; ‭ ‬Yakubu, ‭ ‬2022). ‭ ‬This ‭ ‬environment ‭ ‬can create a ‭ ‬toxic
atmosphere for young users, who may feel trapped and vulnerable.
Cyberbullying ‭ ‬has ‭ ‬become ‭ ‬much ‭ ‬more ‭ ‬pervasive, hidden, ‭ ‬and harmful, ‭ ‬occurring outside of ‭ ‬the
secure zones ‭ ‬of one‘s ‭ ‬home ‭ ‬without ‭ ‬obvious ‭ ‬supervision ‭ ‬while ‭ ‬accessing ‭ ‬the internet ‭ ‬on laptops,
tablets, and smartphones. While the damage of cyberbullying is emotionally felt, there have been a
number of deaths due to cyberbullying. As much as 1 in 5 ‭ ‬documented cyberbullying episodes is
frequent and ‭ ‬long-lasting, with ‭ ‬nearly 84% ‭ ‬hidden from ‭ ‬adults or ‭ ‬authority figures. ‭ ‬The onset ‭ ‬of
cyberbullying has become younger, with ‭ ‬reports indicating cyberbullying as prevalent among 10‭–‬
14-year-old ‭ ‬adolescents. ‭ ‬Being ‭ ‬readily ‭ ‬available ‭ ‬for ‭ ‬use ‭ ‬during ‭ ‬school, ‭ ‬youth ‭ ‬who ‭ ‬suffered
cyberbullying ‭ ‬demonstrated ‭ ‬reduced ‭ ‬academic ‭ ‬performance, ‭ ‬low ‭ ‬self-esteem, ‭ ‬and ‭ ‬dysthymic
symptoms, ‭ ‬and ‭ ‬were ‭ ‬more ‭ ‬likely ‭ ‬to ‭ ‬be ‭ ‬bullied ‭ ‬traditionally ‭ ‬and ‭ ‬cybernetically. ‭ ‬The ‭ ‬impact ‭ ‬of
cyberbullying ‭ ‬was ‭ ‬not ‭ ‬trivial ‭ ‬and ‭ ‬could ‭ ‬last ‭ ‬long, ‭ ‬with ‭ ‬signs ‭ ‬of ‭ ‬anxiety, ‭ ‬despair, ‭ ‬sadness, ‭ ‬or
unremitting ‭ ‬feelings ‭ ‬of ‭ ‬loneliness, ‭ ‬or ‭ ‬even ‭ ‬deeper ‭ ‬problems ‭ ‬manifesting ‭ ‬three ‭ ‬to ‭ ‬four ‭ ‬months
following the event.

Impact on Specific Mental Health Conditions
The potential impact of social media use on mental health depends, in large part, on what one does in these spaces. Despite the potential drawbacks, social media can also serve as a valuable tool for fostering social connections and providing support. Many users report that social media platforms enable ‭ ‬them ‭ ‬to ‭ ‬maintain ‭ ‬relationships ‭ ‬with ‭ ‬friends ‭ ‬and ‭ ‬family, ‭ ‬especially ‭ ‬those ‭ ‬who ‭ ‬are geographically distant. This connectivity can enhance feelings of belonging and support, which are essential for mental well-being (Lin et al., 2020; ‭ ‬McNamara & Usher, 2019). Furthermore, social media ‭ ‬can ‭ ‬facilitate ‭ ‬access ‭ ‬to ‭ ‬mental ‭ ‬health ‭ ‬resources and ‭ ‬communities, allowing‭ ‬individuals to share experiences ‭ ‬and coping ‭ ‬strategies (Berry ‭ ‬et al., ‭ ‬2017; Alammar ‭ ‬et al., ‭ ‬2020). For example, during ‭ ‬the COVID-19 pandemic, ‭ ‬social media ‭ ‬played ‭ ‬a ‭ ‬crucial ‭ ‬role ‭ ‬in ‭ ‬helping ‭ ‬individuals stay connected and informed, which was vital for mental health during a time of ‭isolation (O‘Reilly et ‬al., 2022; Costa, 2023). It should be no surprise, for example, that exposure to other people's upbeat highlight reels might exacerbate depressive symptoms. A great deal more nuance is required, however, to understand the range ‭ ‬of ‭ ‬ways that ‭ ‬social ‭ ‬media ‭ ‬could ‭ ‬matter for ‭ ‬the ‭ ‬broad ‭ ‬and ‭ ‬mixed ‭ ‬population ‭ ‬seen ‭ ‬in ‭ ‬most clinical ‭ ‬settings. ‭ ‬Here, we ‭ ‬paint ‭ ‬with an ‭ ‬extremely ‭ ‬broad ‭ ‬brush, ‭ ‬covering six ‭ ‬major ‭ ‬families ‭ ‬of mental health concerns and, within each domain, focusing on just a few of the more prominent or promising areas of research.
Mental ‭ ‬health ‭ ‬is ‭ ‬multifaceted, ‭ ‬encompassing ‭ ‬a ‭ ‬range ‭ ‬of ‭ ‬problems ‭ ‬that ‭ ‬operate ‭ ‬with ‭ ‬different
dynamics. Much of the available research focuses on individual conditions or individual factors, but our mental health is much more multifaceted than a simple checklist of clinical diagnoses. Most of the research to date has focused on major disorders, like major depression and generalized anxiety disorder, or on various predictors of symptoms or diagnoses. Keep in mind that, while we end up emphasizing studies that speak to how specific social media practices might exacerbate or mitigate symptoms, ‭ ‬it ‭ ‬is ‭ ‬important ‭ ‬to bear ‭ ‬in ‭ ‬mind ‭ ‬that ‭ ‬these ‭ ‬practices might primarily ‭ ‬affect ‭ ‬treatment seeking, diagnosis, or any of a number of ‭ ‬aspects that, ‭ ‬while distinct ‭ ‬from symptoms per ‭ ‬se, are nonetheless an important part of an individual's overall mental health profile. ‭e ‬
Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders among adolescents who use social
media. ‭ ‬Symptoms ‭ ‬of ‭ ‬depression, ‭ ‬such ‭ ‬as ‭ ‬irritability, ‭ ‬feelings ‭ ‬of ‭ ‬sadness, ‭ ‬and ‭ ‬difficulty
concentrating, have been linked to excessive social media use. Symptoms of depression may act as
both the cause and effect of social media use, as the former decreases mood while increasing time
spent on social media, which then acts to further harm the mood. The relationship between social
media use and depression remains complex and understudied, with many questions left unanswered. Currently, no single theory can account for the complex relationship between social media use and depression in a way that fully captures the nuance and complexity of the issue.
Existing evidence suggests that social media use can increase depression and does so through two
distinct ‭ ‬channels. ‭ ‬The ‭ ‬first ‭ ‬of ‭ ‬these ‭ ‬channels ‭ ‬is ‭ ‬direct ‭ ‬increased ‭ ‬usage. ‭ ‬Depression ‭ ‬itself ‭ ‬may increase the probability of an individual using social media, and increased social media usage then subsequently increases depression. The second channel through which social media use triggers an increase in depression is ‭ ‬via ‭ ‬peer ‭ ‬incitement. This occurs when a user‘s ‭ ‬social ‭ ‬media ‭ ‬connections
become increasingly exposed to a set of individuals who regularly post negative content, creating a
negative feedback loop.