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Exercise9 minSubjectiveRationality

The comparison spiral

Four common comparison scenarios from the feed, a quick check on what they cost you, and a way to break the pattern before it takes your mood

The path

How it works

  1. The feedChooseRate
  2. What it costs, and what you can doChoose
Upward comparison, measuring your own life against someone who seems to be doing better, is one of the most common reasons social media lowers mood rather than lifting it. Four scenarios, four ways to meet them.

Exercise in 2 steps, about 9 minutes. Doing it is part of Premium, which you try free for 7 days with no card. With Premium your answers are saved so you can pick up where you left off and look back at what you wrote.

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The evidence

Why does it work?

No single study has the final word, but the pattern is consistent: upward comparison in social feeds, especially passive scrolling without your own interaction, is linked in several studies to a worse mood (research overview by Verduyn et al., 2017, on social media and wellbeing). The exercise is structured reflection, not a validated instrument.

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