The Psychological Consequences of Envying Influencers on Instagram

Jung Ah Lee; So Young Lee; Yuhosua Ryoo; Woo Jin Kim; Yongjun Sung

doi:10.1089/cyber.2022.0001

The Psychological Consequences of Envying Influencers on Instagram

Jung Ah Lee, So Young Lee, Yuhosua Ryoo, Woo Jin Kim, Yongjun Sung

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5 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study examines how being envious toward social media influencers (SMIs) relates to users' affective well-being. An online survey was conducted in which 305 U.S. participants viewed to 20 posts of an SMI and subsequently measured their affective well-being, envy, and inspiration toward the SMI, and self-esteem levels. The results revealed a direct negative relationship between envy and affective well-being, but a positive indirect effect through inspiration. Furthermore, individuals' self-esteem moderates the relationship such that the positive relationship between envy and affective well-being through inspiration is stronger among those with high levels of self-esteem. Moreover, inspiration varies between different influencer categories, that is, participants who viewed fitness influencers reported the greatest amount of inspiration, followed by fashion, beauty, and entertainment influencers.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	703-708
Number of pages	6
Journal	Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking
Volume	25
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2022.0001
State	Published - Nov 2022

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Social Psychology
Communication
Applied Psychology
Human-Computer Interaction
Computer Science Applications

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10.1089/cyber.2022.0001

Cite this

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title = "The Psychological Consequences of Envying Influencers on Instagram",

abstract = "This study examines how being envious toward social media influencers (SMIs) relates to users' affective well-being. An online survey was conducted in which 305 U.S. participants viewed to 20 posts of an SMI and subsequently measured their affective well-being, envy, and inspiration toward the SMI, and self-esteem levels. The results revealed a direct negative relationship between envy and affective well-being, but a positive indirect effect through inspiration. Furthermore, individuals' self-esteem moderates the relationship such that the positive relationship between envy and affective well-being through inspiration is stronger among those with high levels of self-esteem. Moreover, inspiration varies between different influencer categories, that is, participants who viewed fitness influencers reported the greatest amount of inspiration, followed by fashion, beauty, and entertainment influencers.",

author = "Lee, {Jung Ah} and Lee, {So Young} and Yuhosua Ryoo and Kim, {Woo Jin} and Yongjun Sung",

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language = "English (US)",

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AU - Lee, Jung Ah

AU - Lee, So Young

AU - Ryoo, Yuhosua

AU - Kim, Woo Jin

AU - Sung, Yongjun

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AB - This study examines how being envious toward social media influencers (SMIs) relates to users' affective well-being. An online survey was conducted in which 305 U.S. participants viewed to 20 posts of an SMI and subsequently measured their affective well-being, envy, and inspiration toward the SMI, and self-esteem levels. The results revealed a direct negative relationship between envy and affective well-being, but a positive indirect effect through inspiration. Furthermore, individuals' self-esteem moderates the relationship such that the positive relationship between envy and affective well-being through inspiration is stronger among those with high levels of self-esteem. Moreover, inspiration varies between different influencer categories, that is, participants who viewed fitness influencers reported the greatest amount of inspiration, followed by fashion, beauty, and entertainment influencers.

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The Psychological Consequences of Envying Influencers on Instagram

Abstract

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