Relationship between Social Anxiety, Social Comparison and Competitive Behavior among Social Media Users

Abstract

Aim of the Study: The present study was aimed to investigate the relationship between social anxiety, social comparison and competitive behavior among social media users.

Methodology: The current study was comprised of social media users (N=300) having age 17-30 years from Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Sample was collected through purposive sampling technique. The measures used to explore the variables were; Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) (Mattick & Clarke, 1998), Social Comparison Scale (SCS) (Gibbons & Buunk, 1999) and Competitive Behavior Scale (CBS) (Martens & Burton, 1990).

Findings: The results showed that competitive behavior has significant positive correlation with social anxiety and social comparison. Social anxiety is also significantly positively related to social comparison. Moreover, competitive behavior positively predicted social comparison among social media users.

Conclusion: The study revealed the impact of social comparison on competitive behavior among Pakistani teenagers. The Pakistani cultural focuses on competitiveness and social comparisons as measures of success and growth, which in turn increases social anxiety among the individuals.