Impacts of Social Comparison

Impacts of Social Comparison

With the advancement in technology and the internet, the use of social media has contributed to unfavourable social comparisons with various people on social media websites, and this result in undesirable effects. Most people compare themselves to others to acknowledge how they can define their self and eliminate any available uncertainty by evaluating their opinions and capabilities. Social comparison is a manner of self-enhancement by either upward comparison (comparing to a person or group who are superior or better off) or downward comparison (comparing oneself with people you regard as worse off than to feel better). May it be upward or downward comparison, both are harmful to the acuity about self. White et al. in their article “Frequent Social Comparisons and Destructive Emotions and Behaviors” put forward the concept of social comparison and self-esteem. The authors argue that people who are consistently involved in social comparisons undergo extreme destructive emotions and behaviors, and how self-esteem is not related to destructive emotions and behaviors and one’s frequency of social comparisons. The episode “Nosedive” from the Black Mirror TV series is another illustration that explains social comparison can affect one’s life satisfaction.

According to White et al. in the cycle of frequent social comparison and destructive emotions and behaviors, people make social comparisons to evaluate themselves. Yet, these evaluations result in damaging effects on the self. In the act of comparing oneself to an external level of quality means that one does not view as him or herself as a subject, but rather an object to undergo judgement (37). They thus relate social comparison objective self –awareness. Also, increased objective self-awareness results in increasingly frequent social comparison.

Moreover, the connection between people evaluating themselves and self-emphasized attention and the negative impact can put them on the path towards chronic unhappiness. Social comparisons can cause uncertainty and impact negatively like being more dependent on social media, and craving to be better than others. In most cases, people who increasingly make social comparisons are more likely to be held in a cycle of always comparing themselves to others, being in a self-subjective state, and lacking happiness. Therefore, instead of social comparisons assisting people in the coping act, they entirely strengthen the cycle of linking social comparison to reducing well-being (38).

In the “Nosedive” episode from the Black Mirror TV series by Rashida Jones and Michael Schur, the act of social comparison plays a significant role. Lacie, who is the main character, is constantly comparing herself to people with more exceptional ratings in a community where all people rates each other in a scale of one to five. After any specific interaction that takes place between them, the people evaluate each other. The average rating of every person dictates their level of living, where individuals with higher grades are considered to be from the top class. At the same time, those with lower scores are from the lower level and experience miserable experiences. Throughout the episode, Lacey is attempting everything possible to get a higher rating of 4.5, to get privileges as others do. She rates everyone with a five, believing that they too will rate her same. However, along the way, Lacie’s aggressive behaviors lead to low ratings and even suspension from app rating technology for a while. Naomi, her childhood friend, is always making video call when she has outfits which show off her figurative body, standards of life, of while working out. Naomi invites her to her wedding, and Lacie plans to make a speech at the wedding that will raise her ratings. Naomi has guests with higher scores, thus, when she discovers that Lacie’s ratings have reduced she tells her not to come to the wedding anymore because she is afraid of the embarrassments she could receive from her friends. At the episode is coming to an end, we see Lacie getting a ride from a low rating woman (Susan) Naomi’s wedding. In the end, we see Lacie already at the wedding and causing tension as she grabs a knife and a microphone and confesses how she has always wanted to be like Naomi, but Naomi was not a good friend, but she loves her regardless.

Several opinions in White et al. article apply to “Nosedive “episode. For instance, the authors indicate that “people who make frequent social comparisons may choose their targets and dimensions of comparison in order to enhance well-being or to cope with a threat to self-esteem” (42). This explains that due to more social comparisons, the person’s well-being is negatively influenced, in addition to their intergroup and interpersonal relations. Besides, destructive emotions and behaviors may refer to those directed to self, to others in the outer or inner group. For instance, Lacie’s negative reactions made her receive a lower rating: her annoying person in the cab ride made the cab driver give her a one-star rating, and her yelling at the customer care lady in the airport because her standards denied her the chance of getting the flight, her evaluation further reduce rating from everyone around. Besides, Lacie does not want to associate with persons from lower rating to prevent a lower score. When Chess brings her some juice from the fruit market, she hesitantly takes it because she is afraid it might affect her rating considering Chess has a 3.1 score.

Furthermore, social comparison is also performed to achieve an effective response and to maintain high self-esteem. When the comparison is upward, people receive positive effects and negative ones if the comparison is downward. In White et al.’s article,” people make social comparisons when they need both to reduce uncertainty about their abilities, performance, and other socially defined attributes, and when they need to rely on an external standard against which to judge themselves” (37). This implies that people who are not satisfied with their self-worth or lacks transparent internal standards will frequently get involved in social comparisons. Lacie has a good lifestyle but refers to her home as a cave. She wants to get an apartment that she cannot even afford, one with more luxuries items. This is all brought about by the fact that person’s with higher ratings have access to certain privileges like discounts and she wants to benefit from that. Besides, Lacie wishes to be among the people with a five-star rating; thus she always gives other good scores for their approval to be in a higher score; she wants to seek consent and validation from everyone.

Moreover, in the episodes, it is evident that people with a higher score have a high self-subjectivity and in most cases associate with others with higher ratings making it impossible for people with lower scores to rise.

In White et al.’s article “Frequent Social Comparisons and Destructive Emotions and Behaviors“, there are several indications directly pointing to “Nosedive” TV episode. In the article, people who make more social comparisons are more prone to certain destructive emotions and behaviors associated with the process of social comparison, like guilt, blame, envy, and lying. This is exemplified by Lacie who constantly envies people with higher ratings because they have certain privileges, and even acts aggressively to other people like the lady at the customer care desk in the airport. Nevertheless, White et al. explain that self- objectivity rather than self-esteem lead to a person’s well-being. Similar actions are seen in Lacie’s desire to own an expensive house that she cannot afford while depending on the approval of others. Therefore, the article and the TV episode show how social comparison affects the emotions and behaviors of a person, in addition to their social concept.