ABSTRACT
In troublesome reaction to this un-brave new world, intensified social comparison is creating serious harm. The consequences are deeply pernicious when, according to a UK study by the Mental Health Foundation, a quarter of young people suffer from anxiety and depression, attributable in no small measure to intensified social comparison. Intensified social comparison is a troubling issue for the mental health of young people. Quite apart from cosmetic surgery, social comparison is intensified when photos of people are often digitally manipulated. The social comparison of relative performance becomes a driver of inequality. Social media use is far more prevalent among young people than older generations. The cognitive turn in social sciences endeavoured to take account of the interaction between mind-emotions and social experience. The stress of overwork is fuelled by social comparison and the need to keep up and never switch off.
