Social Comparison sebagai Mediator Hubungan Social Media Engagement dengan Self-Esteem

Abstract

Abstract. Social media has become deeply embedded in the daily lives of Indonesian youth, yet its association with self-esteem remains inconsistent across studies. This study examined the role of social comparison as a mediator in the relationship between social media engagement and self-esteem among college students in Bandung City. A quantitative, non-experimental approach with a correlational design was used. Data were collected from 450 active college students aged 18–25 in Bandung through an online questionnaire using the Social Media Engagement Scale, the Iowa-Netherlands Comparison Orientation Measure, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and were analyzed using covariance-based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM). The results showed that social media engagement significantly and positively predicted social comparison (β = 0.589, p < .001), and social comparison significantly and negatively predicted self-esteem (β = -0.493, p < .001). The direct effect of social media engagement on self-esteem was not significant (β = 0.186, p = .102), whereas the indirect effect through social comparison was significant (β = -0.290, p < .001), indicating full mediation. These findings suggest that social media engagement does not directly lower self-esteem, but does so through the mechanism of social comparison, particularly upward social comparison. Abstrak. Keterlibatan mahasiswa dengan media sosial semakin tinggi, namun hasil penelitian mengenai hubungannya dengan self-esteem masih menunjukkan inkonsistensi. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji peran social comparison sebagai mediator dalam hubungan antara social media engagement dan self-esteem pada mahasiswa di Kota Bandung. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif non-eksperimental dengan desain korelasional. Data dikumpulkan dari 450 mahasiswa aktif berusia 18-25 tahun di Kota Bandung melalui kuesioner daring, menggunakan Social Media Engagement Scale, Iowa-Netherlands Comparison Orientation Measure, dan Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Data dianalisis menggunakan Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) berbasis kovarian. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa social media engagement berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap social comparison (β = 0.589, p < 0.001), serta social comparison berpengaruh negatif dan signifikan terhadap self-esteem (β = -0.493, p < 0.001). Pengaruh langsung social media engagement terhadap self-esteem tidak signifikan (β = 0.186, p = 0.102), sedangkan pengaruh tidak langsung melalui social comparison signifikan (β = -0.290, p < 0.001), yang menunjukkan bahwa social comparison berperan sebagai mediator penuh (full mediation). Temuan ini menunjukkan bahwa keterlibatan mahasiswa dengan media sosial tidak menurunkan self-esteem secara langsung, melainkan melalui mekanisme social comparison, khususnya upward social comparison.