What Is Festinger´s Social Comparison Theory?

The social comparison theory was initially proposed by Leon Festinger in 1954. This theory states how we tend to compare ourselves to others as we develop, and learn more about ourselves. Festinger stated that, “Social comparison theory proposes that people have a drive to evaluate their progress and standing on various aspects of their lives and, in the absence of objective standards, people compare themselves to others to know where they stand” (Fardouly, Diedrichs, Vartanian, Halliwell, 2015). Although Festingers’ hypotheses were established almost sixty years ago, they are still very much relevant in the media, as well as social networking sites like Facebook and Instagram today. The mass media has created an “ideal body image” and constant exposure to this from the social comparison theory’s standpoint, will affect people’s perceptions of their own selves and bodies.
An example of this would be commonly found body image issues, eating disorders, and overall self-esteem which, “Have been linked to individuals perceptions of beauty and health, which in turn have been linked to images of perfection exhibited in the media (O’Hair & Weimann, 2009). According to The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, 69% of girls in 5th-12th grade reported that magazine pictures influenced their idea of a perfect body shape. At such a young age, these girls should not be impacted by the mass media’s ideas of ideal body images. As a young woman growing up in a technological and social media dependent world, I think it is extremely important to be aware of all the possible harmful effects that the social comparison theory can have on