Can Social Comparison Theory Explain China’s Subjective Wellbeing?

The Subjective Well-being of people increasingly concerns policymakers and economists alike.But what matters,after basic income concerns are satisfied,has sparked debates.Social Comparison Theory offers an intuitive answer,which explains happiness as an outcome of comparisons to the social environment and past experiences.Examining this theory as a potential well-being determinant,we discover that the expansion of the Internet has led to a dramatic shift in parameters,magnifying the impact of social comparisons.This dynamic is especially true in China,which is why looking at survey data from the China General Social Survey from 2011 to 2015 promised to yield conclusive answers about this triangular relation.Findings suggest that,first,social comparison concerns profoundly matter for subjective well-being parameters.Second,with more time spent online,people also gained happiness but lost belief in social equality.Third,with increasing Internet use,people consider their economic situation superior to their peers,but worse when compared to their previous living standards.The presented results offer intriguing possibilities for the SWB and social comparison literature,which,in some cases,would have predicted different outcomes.