Introduction
In modern society, social networking services, especially for younger generations called “digital native” have become a significant place for identity construction, rather than a communication tool. Facebook and Instagram are the first and second popular services all over the world [1], which allow users to not only present highly-selected aspects of their daily lives, and their values, but also get attention or evaluation from others through these platforms. This process plays a role of constructing their identities on the continual attention from the audience.
In addition, as visual information becomes a center and main in these platforms, the increasing social comparison with others and focusing on physical attractiveness make] people obsessed with lookism influence their identities on the social networking services [2] [3]. Furthermore, it is also important that visual indicators such as the likes, followers, influence self-value and behavioral choice, which promote identity construction centered on the desire for online approval on social networking services [3].
Thus, this paper will examine how these three perspectives shape self- identity.
Social Comparison and Its Psychological Effects on Users
On social networking services, as the success and attractive moments of others are overly emphasized, users are easily exposed to social comparison. For example, a video reports that Facebook users show lower levels of happiness than non-users because of continual exposure to ideal lifestyles that make their own lives seem less attractive [4]. The more opportunities for users to have gorgeous life and success stories, the more risk decreasing self-esteem and psychological well-being [4]. At the same time, positive feedback from others can promote self-efficacy, suggesting a good effect on social comparison. Social networking services enable immediate access to visual information, which allows users to compare rapidly and extensively [5]. Furthermore, comparison goes beyond the same age generation to influencers or celebrities, making self-value depend on the number of likes or followers [2]. As a result, social comparison plays a factor that destroys identity and well-being.
Lookism on Visual Focused Platforms
Social networking services are platforms where visuals are greatly focused, so it easily makes for physical beauty and attractive style emphasized. Therefore, users are exposed to the pressure of lookism. Especially, Instagram and TikTok beauty-edited apps and filters produce idealized appearance, and they create psychological pressure from the gap between these images and users’ actual appearance [6]. This environment promotes a culture that sees appearance improvement and cosmetic surgery as self-investment, making strength the tendency to depend on appearance standards [2]. Furthermore, because evaluation from others becomes visible through appearance on social networking services, users tend to focus more on how they look rather than who they are inside. As a result, their identity may shift toward a self to be seen, instead of an inner self. For these reasons, lookism on social networking services prevent users from understanding themselves in a balanced way and causes mental stress. It can also damage their sense of identity by making appearance more important than personal value.
Dependence on Online Approval
On social networking services, while many users have a tendency to depend on online approval to construct their self-identities. Visual indicators such as the number of likes, comments, and followers provide users social approval, motivating users to prioritize contents that attract positive attention rather than expressing their true values or their emotions [3]. This action reflects a change from inner motivation to outside evaluations, which self-value becomes dependent on the audience’s engagement. Although positive feedback can temporarily lead confident improvement, continual dependence on online approval can weaken self-esteem and lead to psychological weakness [7]. Furthermore, the pressure to keep an idealized self-image encourages users to show only highly-selected aspects of themselves. This creates the psychological gap between who I am on the internet and who I am in real life [8]. As a result, the desire to get approval on social networking services can damage stable identity development and increase feelings of anxiety in the digital environments.
To Maintain the Balance Between Opportunities and Risks
From these analyses, while social networking services play an important role in identity construction, it is also clear that they can promote social comparison and appearance- obsessed culture [2]. Especially in environments centered on visual information, users tend to construct themselves as seen and get evaluation as a base for self-judgement.
However, social networking services should not be seen as a harmful space. It also offers users opportunities for self-expression, creativity. Therefore, the problem does not depend on rejecting itself, but creating users’ healthier habits and self-awareness. Users need to cultivate their knowledge as a digital well-being by decreasing independent approval and social comparison. In addition, educational approaches such as media literacy and training are essential to guide younger generations to keep a good balance between social networking services and users [9]. Furthermore, the desire for approval on social networking services can promote self-identity in the short term, but it also improves construction of self-image depending on other’s evaluation, increasing psychological weakness in the long term [5]. Thus, cultivating internal value systems and offline relationships is essential for stable identity development. Finally, understanding both risks of social networking services is a key to navigate identity construction in the digital age.
References
[1] M. Uchikawa, “世界・日本の人気SNSランキング〖2025年版〗2025/ 06/ 02, https://www.shopify.com/jp/blog/most-popular-social-media-platforms, accessed on 2025/ 11/ 03
[2] H. Nishimoto and N. Yamaguchi, “SNSが若年女性のルッキズム意識に与える影響に関するヒアリング調査,” The Impact of SNS on Lookism Consciousness Among Young Women : An Interview Survey”
[3] A. Matsui、 “The Influence of SNS Majority Users (SNSにおける他者の存在の影響)、 pp. 69-71
[4] Ohad Barzilay, “The Impact of Facebook on Social-Comparison and Happiness: Evidence from a Natural experiment”, YouTube, uploaded byOhad Barzilay, 2018/01/05, https://youtu.be/OIl2Hd6fNd0?si=eMEdG9i1NZZ5MJrH, accessed on 2025/ 10/ 29
[5] L. Faccio, A. Burroni, and C. Riva, “Issues Related to the Use of Visual Social Networks and Perceived Health Risks and Benefits in Young Women Recovering from Eating Disorders in Northern Italy,” Available on Issues Related to the Use of Visual Social Networks and Perceived Usefulness of Social Media Literacy During the Recovery Phase: Qualitative Research Among Girls With Eating Disorders – PMC, accessed on 2025/ 11/ 04
[6] P. Irene, Rubén Permuy, “Research suggests that TikTok and Instagram affect the psychological well‑being of teenage girls more than boys”, 2025/ 03/ 31, https://www.uoc.edu/en/news/2025/tiktok-instagram-affect-the-psychological-well-being-of-teenage-girls-more-than-boys, accessed on 2025/ 11/ 04
[7] D. Giamos, O. Doucet, and P.-M. Léger, “Continuous Performance Feedback: Investigating the Effects of Feedback Content and Feedback Sources on Performance, Motivation to Improve Performance and Task Engagement,” Available: https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/worg20, accessed on 2025/ 11/ 04
[8] E. Goffman, The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, 1959.
[9] C.-J. Shieh and J. Nasongkhla, “Effects of motivation to use social networking sites on students’ media literacy and critical thinking”
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