The strongest tier on file for this syndrome cluster: published studies in peer-reviewed venues whose primary outcome bears directly on this domain.
2023
Media Psychology
McComb, Carly A.; Vanman, Eric J.; Tobin, Stephanie J.
Multilevel random-effects meta-analysis of 48 experimental articles (118 effect sizes, n=7,679) examining the causal effects of exposure to upward comparison targets on social media on self-evaluations and emotions. All included studies used random assignment. Found a significant overall negative effect (g=-0.24) of upward comparison vs controls on self-evaluations and emotions. Body image showed the strongest specific effect (g=-0.31). Findings support causal inference because the underlying studies are experimental.
Brief exposure to idealised Instagram body content produced measurable increases in state body dissatisfaction relative to control images.
Replications & corroborations (1)
confirms
Fardouly J, Diedrichs PC
Verduyn, Philippe; Lee, David Seungjae; Park, Jiyoung; Shablack, Holly; Orvell, Ariana; Bayer, Joseph; Ybarra, Oscar; Jonides, John; Kross, Ethan
Two-study investigation of whether passive versus active Facebook use differentially affects well-being. Study 1: laboratory experiment cueing passive use caused declines in affective well-being. Study 2: experience-sampling study in the field replicated the effect and identified envy as the mediating mechanism. Active Facebook use (direct communication, posting) showed no significant effect on well-being. The passive-use effect remained significant after controlling for active use, non-Facebook social network use, and direct social interactions.
Kross, Ethan; Verduyn, Philippe; Demiralp, Emre; Park, Jiyoung; Lee, David Seungjae; Lin, Natalie; Shablack, Holly; Jonides, John; Ybarra, Oscar
Experience-sampling study of young adults using Facebook. Participants were text-messaged five times daily for two weeks to assess Facebook use and the two components of subjective well-being (momentary affect and life satisfaction). Found that Facebook use predicted within-person declines on both components: more Facebook use at one time point predicted worse next-prompt affect; cumulative use predicted declining life satisfaction over the two-week study window. Direct in-person social interaction, included as a control, did not predict these negative outcomes -- isolating the Facebook-specific effect.
Replications & corroborations
1
Independent studies that re-tested the primary findings — successful replications strengthen the chain; failures or partial replications weaken it.
Pre-registered replication confirms the directional body-dissatisfaction effect with a smaller, more conservative effect-size estimate.
Contradicting evidence & hypothesis-tier reports
0
Lower-tier reports, contradicting findings, and hypothesis-flagged clinical observations. Read with the diagnostic caveats — none of these are settled science.
No studies on file for this tier yet.
Compounding effects — every platform touching this domain
2
A reader exposed to these surfaces simultaneously is not exposed to one risk source — they are exposed to all of them at once. Each row links to that platform's full cognitive-impact dossier and to the entity that owns it.
