Abstract: The prevalence of social anxiety and depression has been on the rise, ing this study to explore the antecedents and coping strategies of anxiety and depression in the digital media era. This study presents a thorough literature review. A theoretical framework was built based on affective events theory and social comparison theory to illustrate the relationships between social comparison and anxiety and depression, while such relationships are contingent upon the influences of the social media environment. This review revealed that (upward) social comparison had a detrimental impact on anxiety and depression, and social networking applications catalyzed the negative effects. While emotional comparison (i.e., social comparison of emotions) was positively related to anxiety and depression, online health communities offer a supportive environment for emotional comparison, thereby aiding the relief of anxiety and depression. The findings inspire follow-up research and coping with anxiety and depression.

Key words: social comparison, anxiety, depression, social networking platforms, online health communities