How social media advertising impacts mental health - A Comparative Study of Organic and Sponsored Content on Instagram

Abstract

Despite being an immensely powerful source of social influence, the increasing use of social media has raised questions about the imminent impact on users’ subjective well-being, due to the quantity and quality of social relationships. Recent research has uncovered that excessive engagement in social media networks are often linked to detrimental effects on psychological health, such as loneliness, anxiety and depression. The proposed study contributes to filling a gap regarding the connection of social media advertising with mental health. Particularly by drawing from influencer authenticity and credibility attributes, and the effect of social comparison on Instagram users’ psychological well-being. An online survey was conducted with a total of 99 participants. This study demonstrated that influencers’ authenticity and credibility attributes positively affect users’ mental health status. Additionally, it revealed that influencer authenticity affects social comparison, with users comparing themselves to the influencer more favorably when presented with organic (authentic) content. The association between influencer authenticity and mental health was also shown to be mediated by social comparison, which has a negative effect on users' mental well-being. The findings extend previous research on influencer attributes, linking influencer authenticity with social comparison, which allows a clearer understanding of how social media advertising affects users’ mental health.