Are your defense mechanisms harming you? The role of psychological defenses in social media comparison and adolescent self-esteem
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21562425 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lin Ting Jin (Ewha Womans University), Yun Jung Choi (0000-0002-1648-9264, Ewha Womans University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 178 |
| Pages | 108916 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Computers in Human Behavior (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0747-5632 • E-ISSN: 1873-7692 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.chb.2026.108916 |
| OpenAlex | W7119606129 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 87 |
Prosocial behavior · Social media · Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Mental Health via Writing
The Positive Side of Social Comparison on Social Network Sites
Self-Disclosure in Intimate Relationships
Is social network site usage related to depression? A meta-analysis of Facebook–depression relations
Facebook and self-perception
Cognitive and affective development in adolescence
Two faces of social comparison on Facebook
The concurrent and longitudinal relationships between adolescents' use of social network sites and their social self-esteem
A meta-analysis of the association between adolescent social media use and depressive symptoms
Negative comparisons about one's appearance mediate the relationship between Facebook usage and body image concerns
Motivational processes and dysfunctional mechanisms of social media use among adolescents
Computer-Mediated Communication
Evaluating Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error
Between Instagram browsing and subjective well-being
Cognitive flexibility and social adjustment in daily life among children
Social media use and subjective well-being among young adults in Mainland China
Social media use intensity, social media use problems, and mental health among adolescents
Does Instagram make you speak ill of others or improve yourself? A daily diary study on the moderating role of malicious and benign envy
Examining the links between active Facebook use, received likes, self-esteem and happiness
Instagram engagement and well-being
Introducing the Social Media Literacy (SMILE) model with the case of the positivity bias on social media
Instagram Use, Loneliness, and Social Comparison Orientation
Passive and Active Social Media Use and Depressive Symptoms Among United States Adults
Mirror, Mirror on my Facebook Wall
The Facebook Paths to Happiness
The function of self-disclosure on social network sites
Facebook use, envy, and depression among college students
Social Comparison
Compare and despair or compare and explore? Instagram social comparisons of ability and opinion predict adolescent identity development
Defense mechanisms as predictors of anxiety and self-esteem—A multiple regression analysis
Defense Use and Defense Understanding in Children
Longitudinal Study of Defense Mechanisms
Social support and adaptive emotion regulation
The effect of negative affect on cognition
Do Social Network Sites Enhance or Undermine Subjective Well‐Being? A Critical Review
Defense Mechanisms Reloaded in the Light of Impaired Personality Functioning
Mindfulness and Defense Mechanisms as Explicit and Implicit Emotion Regulation Strategies against Psychological Distress during Massive Catastrophic Events
Self-enhancement and self-protection
Adolescent Humor and its Relationship to Coping, Defense Strategies, Psychological Distress, and Well-Being
Social Media Use in Organizations
Social comparison, social media, and self-esteem
Online Impression Management
Are active and passive social media use related to mental health, wellbeing, and social support outcomes? A meta-analysis of 141 studies
Humor, coping with stress, self-concept, and psychological well-being
Exploring the Relationships Between Different Types of Facebook Use, Perceived Online Social Support, and Adolescents’ Depressed Mood
Psychological defense and self-esteem instability
Adaptive mental mechanisms
Inspiration and the promotion of well-being
Individual differences in social comparison
You have one identity
Follow me and like my beautiful selfies
"The Benefits of Facebook "Friends
A social comparison theory meta-analysis 60+ years on
Projection as a defense mechanism
Evaluation of the evidence for the trauma and fantasy models of dissociation
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |