Abstract
Background: Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms among young females. Idealized body images shared on the platform have been associated with lower levels of body satisfaction in this population, likely due to social comparison processes. In the present study, we tested a mediation model linking Instagram use (i.e., browsing through others’ profiles, commenting on others’ looks, posting one’s own photos or stories) to body dissatisfaction (i.e., body image discrepancy and lack of body appreciation), mediated by upward social comparison with close peers, distant peers, and social media influencers. Methods: We applied structural equation modeling to self-report cross-sectional data collected from 291 female adolescents and young women (Mage = 19.8, SD = 4.6; 94.8% Italian). Results: Our final model results show that browsing on Instagram was associated with lower levels of body appreciation, fully mediated by upward social comparison with social media influencers, not close or distant peers. Commenting on others’ looks and posting own content were not associated with body dissatisfaction. Being an adolescent female (compared to a young woman) and having a higher BMI were associated with worse body appreciation. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the need for public health interventions to raise awareness about the posting practices of social media influencers and to strengthen a positive body image among young females susceptible to social comparison processes.
Highlights
In September 2021, the Wall Street Journal published the Facebook Files, uncovering that the platform owner conducted their own research and found that Instagram is making body issues worse for one in three teenage girls, mainly because Instagram contributes to unhealthy social comparison among teens [1]
Considering the dominant presence of idealized content on Instagram, the present study focused on the mediating role of upward social comparison in the relationship between different forms of Instagram use and body dissatisfaction
To follow up on the differential role of these two comparison targets, we further investigated the associations between different types of Instagram use and body dissatisfaction mediated by upward comparison with close and distant peers
Summary
In September 2021, the Wall Street Journal published the Facebook Files, uncovering that the platform owner conducted their own research and found that Instagram is making body issues worse for one in three teenage girls, mainly because Instagram contributes to unhealthy social comparison among teens [1]. Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms among the younger population, especially female adolescents and young women. We tested a mediation model linking Instagram use (i.e., browsing through others’ profiles, commenting on others’ looks, posting one’s own photos or stories) to body dissatisfaction (i.e., body image discrepancy and lack of body appreciation), mediated by upward social comparison with close peers, distant peers, and social media influencers. Results: Our final model results show that browsing on Instagram was associated with lower levels of body appreciation, fully mediated by upward social comparison with social media influencers, not close or distant peers. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the need for public health interventions to raise awareness about the posting practices of social media influencers and to strengthen a positive body image among young females susceptible to social comparison processes
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