Influenced and unfulfilled? A study on the effects of Instagram use on materialistic values and well-being
Date
2025
DOI
Authors
Version
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
This study examines the relationship between Instagram use, materialism, and psychological well-being, focusing in particular on life satisfaction and spiritual well-being, through the lens of cultivation theory. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 619 participants. I employed regression analyses, including mediation and path models, to examine how various forms of Instagram engagement and genre-specific content exposure relate to materialistic values and well-being outcomes. Contrary to traditional cultivation assumptions, general Instagram use was not a significant predictor of materialism. Instead, consumption-oriented Instagram behaviors and exposure to fashion and violent content emerged as key predictors, particularly among users with high social comparison tendencies. Social comparison partially mediated the relationship between consumption-oriented engagement and materialism, underscoring its role as a central psychological mechanism. My findings challenge the total applicability of cultivation theory to the social media environment, where the effects on users appear fragmented and contingent on their agency, content curation, and algorithmic exposure. In contrast, the study supports the relevance of selective exposure and social comparison theory in explaining how digital content engagement shapes values. Additionally, spirituality and age were protective factors against materialism, while general Instagram use was unexpectedly associated with higher spiritual well-being. Methodologically, this study contributes to cultivation research by using a content-informed framework based on participants’ genre exposure and self-reports. Overall, these findings underscore the need for longitudinal and content-sensitive approaches to better understand how social media environments influence values and well-being in a personalized, algorithm-driven media landscape.
Description
2025