Effects of social media use on desire for cosmetic surgery among young women

Eva G Krumhuber,Candice E Walker,Adrian Furnham,Steven Dayan

doi:10.1007/s12144-019-00282-1

Eva G Krumhuber, Candice E Walker + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00282-1

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Abstract

A large body of research has documented the influence of traditional media formats (e.g. television programs, adverts) on young women’s consideration of cosmetic surgery. However, less is known about how newer forms of media such as social networking sites impact desire for cosmetic surgery. The present study aimed to examine whether exposure to images depicting facial cosmetic enhancements increases the desire for cosmetic surgery among young women. One-hundred and eighteen women, aged 18–29 years, indicated their social media use. This was followed by a task in which they viewed either images of facial cosmetic enhancements (N = 59) or images of travel (N = 59). Participants then indicated their satisfaction with their appearance, their mood and desire to undergo cosmetic enhancement. The results showed that viewing images of females who have undergone cosmetic enhancements affected young women’s desire for cosmetic surgery, especially if they spent a significant amount of time on social media, followed many accounts, and were less satisfied with their appearance. These findings have implications for parents, clinicians, and policy makers for understanding how internet habits, particularly the use of social media, influence the desire for cosmetic surgery, including the psychosocial motivations underlying those intentions.

Highlights

Physical appearance is an important aspect of personal identity and its relation to individuals’ self-perception begins early in life (Davison and Birch 2001)
In order to control for the effect of negative mood, depression, anxiety, and age, an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted
The current study aimed to explore whether exposure to images with facial cosmetic enhancements increases the desire for cosmetic surgery

Summary

Introduction

Physical appearance is an important aspect of personal identity and its relation to individuals’ self-perception begins early in life (Davison and Birch 2001). The Tripartite Influence Model (Thompson et al 1999) argues that beauty ideals are reinforced and transmitted by three primary sociocultural influences: peers, parents, and the media. These influences are mediated by two factors, namely internalisation of appearance ideals and appearance comparison. It is proposed that if a person internalizes beauty ideals about appearances (i.e. those depicted by the media or reinforced by parents) that s/he cannot live up to and/or habitually engages in appearance comparison (e.g. with peers), this can create problems with body image such as body dissatisfaction (Thompson et al 1999). Whilst the effects of media messages on women’s body image have been examined using various forms of traditional media, including television and magazines (Groesz et al 2002), less is known about how newer forms, such as social media, influence their perceptions

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