Overthinking About Social Media Comparison

You log onto Instagram and within five seconds of scrolling, your algorithm has your self-esteem in a death grip. It serves you: 1) an old classmate's engagement announcement, 2) another carousel of glamorous vacation pics, 3) a random influencer looking flawless on a rooftop... and now, you feel like garbage. These people have NOTHING to do with your life, and yet social media has forced them into your brain space. What's worse? Their beauty, wealth, and success seem to be directly depleting yours. What causes us to irrationally compare-despair on platforms like Instagram and TikTok? Is there an evolutionary explanation? And how can we feel better? Joining host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) are two special guests, here to help soothe our thought spirals surrounding social media comparison: Jemma Sbeg (@jemmasbeg), host of The Psychology of Your 20s podcast, and Britt Frank (@britt_frank), neuropsychotherapist and author of The Science of Stuck. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking, or listen to the audiobook. - Sources: Zero-Sum Bias: Perceived Competition Despite Unlimited Resources - bit.ly/4drkHhQ Gendered Influence of Downward Social Comparisons on Current and Possible Selves - bit.ly/3XavUh9 Shine Theory: Why Powerful Women Make the Greatest Friends - bit.ly/3Xak9XU To watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkersYouTube ; Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, DM, email, or send this link to a friend: https://bit.ly/MagicalOverthinkers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices