Social Comparison

In the contemporary world, social media has become a necessity for the running of daily businesses and economic activities. Businesses utilize these platforms to advertise themselves, feature new products and retain their clients. Moreover, people use social media to share different aspects of their lives, through stories, videos and pictures. Despite the useful nature of social media in sharing information with loved ones, it often serves as a platform for significant degrees of social comparison. As a student, I am often faced with a lot of pressure from my peers with regards to my career path, grades, talents, friends and fashion. It often seems as if the individual with the perfect category of each is the “coolest”, and undoubtedly, it is a competition that almost everyone wants to emerge as the winner – except, there is no winning. I have therefore fallen prey to garnering information about my others through Instagram and TikTok, as a way of reducing confusion and ensuring that I have not been left behind. Through comparing myself with others, I gain an elevated sense of self, knowing that my dressing, grades, social circle and social media posts are admired by others. I