Digital mirrors: How influencers shape social comparison and mental well-being in Brazil

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to analyze how digital influencers can impact the mental health of their followers. To achieve this, structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to evaluate the proposed theoretical model, incorporating constructs such as Performance Expectancy, Effort Expectancy, Social Influence, Facilitating Conditions, Hedonic Motivation, Habit, Influencers Following Behavior, Social Media Engagement, Social Comparison, Social Anxiety, and Depression. The results revealed that habit and hedonic motivation are the most significant predictors of use behavior toward influencers. Among psychological outcomes, social comparison emerged as a key construct, significantly influenced by influencer-following behavior and social media engagement. In turn, social comparison significantly increased social anxiety, which then showed a strong positive effect on depressive symptoms. Moreover, the mediation analysis confirmed that social comparison mediates the relationship between social media engagement and anxiety, and anxiety mediates the relationship between social comparison and depression, highlighting an indirect pathway by which engagement with influencers can affect mental health. In conclusion, this study underscores the importance of understanding the emotional and behavioral consequences of following digital influencers, especially in the context of social comparison and its cascading effects on anxiety and depression.