A survey of university students in Islamabad links heavier Instagram use with lower self-esteem and higher depressive symptoms, especially through patterns of social comparison.

Instagram use matters. Comparison matters more. Self-esteem may be the bridge.

Quick summary

• What the study found: More Instagram use was associated with lower self-esteem, and lower self-esteem was linked with higher depression scores among surveyed university students.
• Why it matters: The paper highlights how everyday scrolling may connect with self-view, especially when users compare themselves with others.
• What to be careful about: This was an observational survey, so it cannot show that Instagram caused poorer mental wellbeing.

Instagram use was tied to self-esteem and depressive symptoms

The paper, Use of Instagram and its effect on the mental well-being of university students: A perspective from Pakistan, surveyed 515 students aged 18 to 25 from two well-known universities in Islamabad.

Students reporting increased Instagram use also showed lower self-esteem. Lower self-esteem was linked with higher depression scores. When self-esteem was included, the direct Instagram-depression link was no longer significant.

The researchers used a conditional mediation model, which tests whether one variable helps explain a relationship and whether that pathway changes under different conditions.

Self-esteem carried much of the statistical link

The model pointed to self-esteem as a statistical pathway. In plain terms, Instagram use was associated with feeling worse about oneself, and that lower self-view was associated with more depressive symptoms.

Mediation means the association may operate through another factor. Here, self-esteem statistically carried the Instagram-depression link, rather than Instagram use remaining independently linked after adjustment.

Comparison changes the everyday experience

Upward comparison means comparing yourself with people you see as doing better. On Instagram, that can involve looks, lifestyle, success, friendships, travel, fitness, or popularity.

The study found the mediated pathway varied by upward comparison. It was weaker among students with high upward comparison and stronger among those with low upward comparison.

That pattern shows the relationship is not simple. The paper suggests Instagram’s psychological relevance depends partly on how users compare themselves with others.

Use this as a prompt, not a diagnosis

This is not a reason to panic about every scroll. It is a reason to notice how you feel after using Instagram, especially after viewing achievement, beauty, lifestyle, or popularity content.

For an ordinary user, the useful move is reflection, not self-blame. If Instagram leaves you feeling smaller, the comparison process may be worth changing.

That could mean muting accounts that trigger harsh comparison, taking breaks from comparison-heavy browsing, or spending more time in spaces that support real relationships.

What remains uncertain

The study has clear limits. It used online surveys, convenience sampling, and students from two universities. It cannot show that Instagram caused lower self-esteem or depressive symptoms.

The sample also limits generalization beyond young university students in Islamabad. Depression scores should not be read as clinical diagnoses.

Careful takeaway: Instagram may matter less as a single habit and more as a comparison environment. Self-esteem appears to be a key part of that link.