Close-Friend Amplification vs Influencer Exposure: A Graph-Aware Intervention to Shift Comparison Ladders

Randomize adolescents to (a) close-friend/community-amplified feeds or (b) influencer-weighted feeds in a simulated app. Measure comparison directionality (upward vs lateral vs downward), perceived support, and state and trait self-esteem trajectories. Include low-SES and low self-esteem subgroups to test heterogeneous effects. This study turns correlational findings about supportive communities and posting-support reciprocity into a graph-level ranking intervention, explicitly testing the social structure of the feed as a psychological lever. It tests whether prioritizing proximal ties over influencers reduces upward comparison without suppressing perceived connectedness. The intervention may be especially protective for girls vulnerable to sexualized content pressures by downweighting influencer content. The impact is evidence to support “proximity-first” youth feeds that privilege relational support over celebrity aspiration—actionable for platforms and regulators.

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