In response to the wide-ranging concern of online academic futility, the current study aimed to explore the independent variables and mediating variable from a novel perspective of parents during COVID-19. Based on the social comparison theory and the control-value theory of achievement emotions, social comparison and tutoring anxiety were incorporated into an integrated model as predictors and mediator, respectively. A total of 300 parents completed an online survey. The results of the structural equation modeling indicated that upward social comparison and downward social comparison were both positively related to tutoring anxiety, which in turn positively predicted perceived online academic futility. Notably, tutoring anxiety played a significant mediating role in the association between different social comparison and perceived online academic futility. These results highlight the consistent predictive effect of upward social comparison and downward social comparison on perceived online academic futility, shedding light on the roles of tutoring anxiety in explaining the relationship from parental perspectives.