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Identifying and comparing types of social comparisons on social networking sites among mothers with infants: Differences in maternal loneliness by types

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Abstract

Purpose

Loneliness among mothers of infants is a serious problem that leads to increased stress and depression. Social networking sites (SNS) are platforms commonly used by mothers to gain information and socialize; however, the sites can also lead to social comparison. This study aimed to identify and compare the types of parental social comparisons on SNS among mothers with infants and examine their differences regarding maternal loneliness.

Methods

A random sampling cross-sectional survey of 233 Japanese mothers with infants aged 6–11 months old was conducted. The questionnaire considered the frequency of parental social comparisons on SNS and the associated positive/negative emotions, loneliness, perceived social support, SNS use, and participant characteristics. Hierarchical cluster analysis and analysis of covariance were used to examine differences in loneliness by social comparison type.

Results

Identified types of parental social comparisons on SNS included: “Negative-leaning comparisons (n = 40),” “Ambivalent comparisons (n = 53),” “Heavy comparisons (n = 39),” and “Positive-leaning comparisons (n = 67).” The “non-comparative group (n = 34)” made no comparisons. The loneliness scores of the “Negative-leaning comparisons” group were significantly higher than those of the “Ambivalent comparisons,” “Positive-leaning comparisons,” and “Non-comparative” groups (p = 0.019, p = 0.017, and p < 0.001, respectively). Additionally, the loneliness scores of the “Heavy comparisons” group were higher than those of the “Non-comparative” group (p = 0.005).

Conclusion

Interventions aimed at enhancing digital literacy among mothers and providing tailored support based on their social comparison types are crucial for mitigating the negative effects of parental social comparisons on SNS.

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Data availability

The datasets generated or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their gratitude to the mothers who participated in the study and cooperated with the research team.

Funding

This work was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI (grant no. 19K19728, Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists). Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, 19K19728.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Nursing, Toyama Prefectural University, 2-2-78, Nishinagae, Toyama-Shi, Toyama-ken, 930-0975, Japan

    Ryuta Onishi

  2. Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita 12, Nishi 5, Kita-Ku, Sapporo-Shi, Hokkaido, 060-0812, Japan

    Hanami Tone

  3. Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 12, Nishi 5, Kita-Ku, Sapporo-Shi, Hokkaido, 060-0812, Japan

    Funa Maruyama, Minori Kubota & Nana Chino

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  3. Funa Maruyama
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation and data collection were performed by Ryuta Onishi and Hnami Tone. Data analysis were performed by All authors. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Ryuta Onishi and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Ryuta Onishi.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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We have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Ethical approval

This study was conducted with the approval of the ethical review board of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University (Approval Number: 20–2) and performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.

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If the participants returned the completed questionnaire, they were judged to have consented to participate in the study.

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Onishi, R., Tone, H., Maruyama, F. et al. Identifying and comparing types of social comparisons on social networking sites among mothers with infants: Differences in maternal loneliness by types. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-024-02677-3

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