The Associations of Relatedness Need Frustration and Socioeconomic Status With Youth Perfectionistic Self-Presentation on Social Media: The Mediating Role of Social Comparison

Abstract

The phenomenon of online perfectionistic self-presentation (PSP) poses significant risks for young people, contributing to heightened anxiety, depression, and social isolation as individuals strive to project idealized versions of themselves on social media. This pressure to conform to unrealistic standards often leads to detrimental psychological outcomes, necessitating an understanding of the factors that drive such behaviors. This study examines the relationship between relatedness need frustration (RNF)—a psychological state arising from feelings of social exclusion or disconnection—and online PSP among college students, alongside the moderating effect of family socioeconomic status (SES) and the mediating role of social comparison on social media. Utilizing a sample of 1,924 college students aged 17 to 26 years (M = 18.59, SD = 0.75, 65% females), we assessed RNF, PSP, social comparison on social media, SES, and demographic information through questionnaires. The results revealed that (a) RNF was positively associated with online PSP; (b) SES moderates the relationship between RNF and PSP, with individuals from low and average SES families exhibiting a significant positive correlation between RNF and PSP, while those from high SES families do not; (c) the moderating effect of SES occurs through the mediating process of social comparison. These findings highlight the psychological mechanisms underlying unhealthy self-presentation behaviors on social media and emphasize the need to address socioeconomic disparities in mental health interventions, promoting healthier social media engagement among youth.