objective: Social media use has been reported to impair people's psychological well-being. The present study aimed to examine Instagram users' motivation for social network use, specifically focusing on the relationship between need to belong and self-esteem. It further investigated the potential mediating role of Instagram users' tendency towards social comparison in this relationship, as well as possible gender differences.
methods: The final sample comprised 572 participants aged 18 - 24 years (478 females, mean age (SD) = 21.04 years (1.69)). Data were collected within a quantitative cross-sectional design through questionnaires. The variables of interest, including social comparison, self-esteem, and need to belong were assessed through questionnaires.
results: Confirming our hypothesis, results revealed negative correlations between Instagram users' tendency toward social comparison and their self-esteem for both genders. A positive correlation between Instagram users' need to belong and their tendency towards social comparison was also found for both genders as well as a negative correlation between need to belong and self-esteem.
conclusions: Findings from the present study support the view that the motivation behind Instagram use is a more relevant variable for explaining self-esteem in emerging adults than simple aspects of Instagram usage. Furthermore, we found significant gender differences that indicated that the negative effects on self-esteem are greater among female emerging adult Instagram users. Further research is required in order to better understand the underlying mechanisms.