Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

Understanding the Impact of Social Media Behaviours on Self-Esteem: The Roles of Social Comparison, Emotion, and Engagement among Chinese Media Users

Yuefeng CaiUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

There is a lack of investigation into the factors associated with Chinese media users’ self-esteem. This study examined how social comparison tendency and the emotional valence of online content jointly predict self-esteem among Chinese social media users. Using survey data from 63 participants, we conducted a multiple linear regression that was statistically significant (F (2, 60) = 4.77, p = .005), explaining 19.53% of the variance in self-esteem. Stronger social comparison tendency negatively predicted self-esteem (β = –1.03, p = .042), whereas positive emotional responses to online content predicted higher self-esteem (β = 0.56, p = .024). These findings suggest that Chinese media users who frequently compare themselves with others and respond negatively to media content report lower self-esteem. By highlighting culturally salient psychological mechanisms, this study extends Western-centric social comparison theory to the Chinese digital context and contributes to a better understanding of psychological factors among Chinese social media users.

Keywords: Self-esteem; Social Comparison Tendency; Content valence; Chinese Social Media Users
Published: October 23, 2025
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2025.28440
Volume: CHR Vol.84
pp. 42-45
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