Presenter: Zitong Liu

Academic Comparison, Productivity Content, and Student Anxiety

Type of Presentation: Oral Presentation

Abstract

My interest in this topic began when I noticed how often students see posts about studying, grades, workload, and productivity on social media. This oral presentation introduces my proposed mixed-methods study on how academic comparison and productivity-related social media content may shape anxiety among UBC undergraduate students. Shannon et al. (2022) linked problematic social media use with anxiety, depression, and stress among young people, while Pedalino and Camerini (2022) showed that upward social comparison on Instagram can shape how young women view themselves. However, less attention has been paid to academic comparison content in university life. This proposed study asks how exposure to academic comparison content on social media is related to UBC undergraduate students’ self-reported anxiety. My research plan would focus on UBC undergraduate students and use an online survey with about 50 to 100 participants, followed by semi-structured interviews with about 10 to 15 students. I expect to find that repeated exposure to posts about grades, studying, workload, and productivity may increase pressure, inadequacy, and competition. A limitation is that students’ anxiety may also come from courses, family expectations, and real-life academic pressure, not only social media.

Biography

Zitong Liu is a first-year UBC Vantage Arts student interested in social media, student life, and mental health. Her research focuses on how online academic comparison may shape students’ feelings of pressure and anxiety. Outside her academic studies, she is interested in everyday digital culture and how students use social media to understand themselves and connect with others.