Social Media Addiction on Health-Related Risk-Taking Behaviors through Social Comparison among Young Adults

Abstract

Social media addiction, social comparison, and health-related risk-taking

behaviors have emerged as increasingly interconnected phenomena in the lives of young adults.

Excessive and compulsive use of social media platforms often fosters frequent social comparison,

which in turn can shape how individuals perceive, monitor, and respond to their own health. These

dynamics have raised growing concern among researchers and mental health professionals, given

their potential to influence anxiety-driven health behaviors in the digital age. The current study

aimed to understand the relationship between Social Media Addiction, Social Comparison, and

Health-Related Risk-Taking Behaviors among Young Adults. In an age where social media

platforms have become deeply embedded in everyday life, constant exposure to curated and

idealized content increasingly shapes how young adults evaluate themselves and their health. A

sample of 70 young adults was taken to examine the relationship. Standardized scales were used

for each variable, including the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, the Cyberchondria Severity

Scale, and the Iowa-Netherlands Comparison Orientation Measure. The findings showed a

significant positive correlation between Social Media Addiction and Health-Related Risk-Taking

Behaviors, revealing that higher levels of social media addiction are associated with greater

engagement in health-anxiety-driven online behaviors. Moreover, Social Media Addiction showed

a significant positive relationship with Social Comparison, and Social Comparison, in turn, showed

a significant positive relationship with Health-Related Risk-Taking Behaviors, together suggesting

that young adults who compare themselves more frequently with others online are also more prone

to compulsive, anxiety-driven health-related searching. The study did not find a significant 

relationship between two specific components, Excessiveness and Reassurance, revealing that

excessive health-searching and reassurance-seeking behavior may function independently of one

another among young adults. The study suggests that more research be conducted in this field by

taking a much larger sample and testing the mediating pathway through formal statistical

modeling, along with a need for digital wellness interventions and mental health awareness

programs that help young adults build healthier, less comparison-driven relationships with social

media and their own health.