A Study on Social Media Content Exposure, Self-Perception, and Motivation among Students

Abstract

Existing literature on social media and students tends to conceptualize the effect of social media on students as either demotivating/motivating or negative/positive. These dualistic methods fail to capture the intricate emotional experiences of students while using social media on a day-to-day basis. This paper investigates the effect of achievement-oriented social media content on students’ self-perception and motivation. Through survey research among undergraduate students, this paper reveals an interesting and yet unexplored phenomenon: students who feel a greater sense of inadequacy while watching others’ achievements tend to feel a greater sense of inspiration and motivation to better themselves. Instead of discouraging students, discomforting emotions seem to coexist with and even complement achievement-oriented motivation. This paradoxical effect of social media on students has been labeled as the Inadequacy-Inspiration Paradox and indicates that social media creates a type of motivation that is psychologically engaging but emotionally taxing.

Introduction

This study explores how achievement-oriented social media content shapes student motivation and self-perception, challenging the common assumption that motivation is necessarily linked to positive emotions. Rather than labeling social media as beneficial or harmful, the research examines whether feelings of inadequacy and motivation can coexist—and what this reveals about contemporary student motivation.

Using an exploratory cross-sectional survey of 30 undergraduate students, the study analyzed relationships between emotional discomfort (such as inadequacy and pressure) and motivational responses to social media. The findings show that motivation often persists or even increases when students feel inadequate. Emotional discomfort does not lead to disengagement; instead, it can act as a trigger that pushes students to work harder.

The results also reveal that inspiration and pressure are tightly intertwined. Achievement-focused posts simultaneously motivate students and make them feel responsible for matching others’ success. Awareness that social media content is curated does not reduce its emotional impact, suggesting that comparison operates automatically through repeated exposure. Overall, social media sustains high levels of effort while increasing emotional strain.

A notable subgroup of students emerges as highly motivated yet emotionally unsettled—often appearing as high performers despite relying on pressure-driven motivation rather than confidence. The study concludes that motivation can be driven by discomfort, but such motivation is emotionally costly and potentially unstable. These findings suggest that educational institutions should treat motivation and well-being as separate constructs and avoid equating high effort with psychological health.

Conclusion

This study matters because it explains an experience many students feel but struggle to articulate: being emotionally unsettled yet driven. Recognizing this paradox helps shift focus from surface motivation to sustainable growth. This study demonstrates that social media’s impact on students cannot be reduced to positive or negative effects. By identifying the Inadequacy–Inspiration Paradox, it reveals how emotional discomfort and motivation can coexist, producing driven yet psychologically strained engagement. Recognizing this paradox is essential for educators and institutions seeking to promote meaningful, sustainable motivation rather than silent exhaustion.

Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Anant Gaur, Ridhima Bhandari. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.