Comparing ourselves to other people who seem to be doing better than us (called upward comparison) can make us feel like we don’t measure up. Social media amplifies these negative effects, because we’re often viewing photos and updates from people we don’t know very well in real life. Comparing ourselves to others on social media affects our self-esteem , perceptions of ourselves, depressive symptoms, and mood. These effects are especially strong among people who are more sensitive to social comparisons in general.