Upward Social Comparison and Social Media Fatigue among Final-Year Students: The Roles of Sex and Instagram First Account Usage Intensity

Abstract

Instagram has experienced numerous developments that have impacted user engagement. The emergence of the first account phenomenon has prompted individuals to compete for prominence, leading to exhaustion and boredom, and ultimately resulting in the deactivation of their Instagram first account, a condition termed social media fatigue (SMF). This study seeks to empirically investigate the relationship between upward social comparison (USC), sex, duration, and frequency of use, and SMF among Instagram first account users. A quantitative correlational method was employed, involving 160 participants who are final-year university students and Instagram first account users in Semarang, selected through incidental sampling techniques. The instruments utilized included the Social Media Fatigue Scale (16 items, α=0.843) and the Upward Social Comparison on Social Media Scale (14 items, α=0.868), alongside self-reported measures of daily duration and weekly frequency. Linear regression analysis revealed a positive and significant relationship (R=0.332; p<0.001), indicating that USC accounts for 11% of the variance in SMF (R²=0.110; p<0.001). Correlation tests demonstrated that frequency was negatively correlated with both USC (p=0.005) and SMF (p=0.007), whereas duration of use showed no significant correlation with either USC or SMF. Furthermore, difference tests indicated that women exhibited higher levels of USC (t=-3.050, p=0.003) and SMF (t=-2.602, p=0.041) compared to men. These findings suggest that USC is a predictor of SMF, while usage patterns exhibit a more complex influence among final-year students who are first account Instagram users.