Body Positivity (#BoPo) in everyday life: An ecological momentary assessment study showing potential benefits to individuals’ body image and emotional wellbeing

Abstract

Experimental studies of Body Positivity (BoPo), referring to social media content that challenges status-quo beauty ideals by portraying and promoting diverse physical appearances, are suggestive of mental health benefits. To date, no research has examined BoPo using naturalistic study designs that maximise ecological validity. Undergraduate students (N = 113, 83.2 % female, 26.6 % White) completed a 1-week, smartphone-facilitated ecological momentary assessment protocol containing self-report measures of state body satisfaction, state affective functioning, and BoPo exposure. Students also reported the social media platforms where their BoPo exposures occurred. Our main finding was that students exposed to BoPo subsequently reported higher levels of body satisfaction (Cohen’s d = 0.05, small) and positive affect (d = 0.06, small), together with lower negative affect (d = −0.03, small). Instagram accounted for half of all BoPo exposures (46.1 %), followed by Facebook (17.4 %), Youtube (8.9 %), and Snapchat (8.9 %). Conclusions were three-fold: (i) viewing BoPo may lead people to experience higher body satisfaction and improved emotional wellbeing, (ii) Instagram is a particularly important social media platform for BoPo exposures, and (iii) encouraging social media users to follow BoPo social media accounts may be a useful way to protect and enhance users’ body image and emotional wellbeing, pending further research.