The impact of social media use and social comparison in Egyptian youth

Abstract EN

Communication ecologies are complex as they entail dynamic processes through which media texts are generated, circulated and consumed.

Media content have a dual existence: they arc configurations of symbolic elements, discourses whose meaning is constituted in the acts of interpretation by consumers.

Oncc brought into being by some commonality of virtual experiences, audiences show a remarkable capacity to turn visual into genuine socialites.

Given that dissemination of culture through media is already differentiated by age, gender, class, ethnicity, language, status, education, and other distinctions; An understanding of the variables that impact social networking users is needed.

Mass communication scholars alongside anthropologists- as students of culture- arc currently employing cultural context to the technologies, messages, content and most importantly impact on those who produce and/or consume media.

The purpose of this study is to investigate youth’s cxpericnccs of social media use and possible outcomes from such consumption process.

Granted that social media have positive effects, this study, however, is more concerned with one negative side effect that may arise from social media consumption: social comparison.

Social comparison allows users to compare themselves based on content found on social media platforms.

This study will explore the relationship between social media use and social comparison.

Directing visual contcnt as the main element that trigger the comparison process based on what the individuals* network share on SNS platforms, especially social networking sites (SNS).

Visual use of photography found on social media and social networking sites- SNS- have enhanced our understanding of how users interpret existing visual representations.

Audience have an activc and powerful role in interpreting media content in part because they come to media in a context, a situation that frames such interpretations and perception they make out of symbols.