Social Media & Body Image: A Study of a Public Sector University in Islamabad

Body Image and Televised Images of Thinness and Attractiveness: A Controlled Laboratory Investigation

This study examines the correlation between female body image and social media usage, focusing on the impact it has on overall well-being. The popularity of social networking sites (SNSs) has significantly impacted our digital culture, providing options for self-expression, engagement, and communication. However, SNSs also bring certain drawbacks, such as the potential for body dissatisfaction and negative psychological effects. Gap: While previous research has examined the relationship between social media use and body image, there is a need for a comprehensive analysis that specifically focuses on the effects on female well-being. This study aims to fill the gap by providing a comprehensive exploration of the effects of social media use on female body image and its influence on overall well-being. The objective of this study is to examine the correlation between social media usage and female body image, specifically focusing on the detrimental effects on well-being and mental health. By analyzing academic papers and research findings, this study aims to contribute to the understanding of the intricate relationship between social media, body image, and well-being. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) framework was used to compile relevant literature. Data from Scopus sources was analyzed using the RStudio 4.2.1-win program. Various factors, such as the publishing year, author details, keywords, and document categories, were considered to identify important patterns and insights. It is recommended that awareness and educational campaigns be developed to promote a healthy body image and address the potential negative consequences of social media use. The analysis significantly contributes to the body of knowledge by offering a thorough examination of the connection between female body image on social media and usage, highlighting the detrimental effects on well-being and mental health.

Social media use and appearance pressure among midlife women: Associations with fat talk and old talk.

Background:The excessive use of social media among today’s youth has also led to a large number of new-age problems like social media addiction, eating disorders, and body dysmorphia. Recent studies show emerging concerns linked with increased social media use and body image dissatisfaction. Although many studies have been done in other countries regarding the same, research on social media usage and body image dissatisfaction in the Indian scenario is still lagging. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of body image dissatisfaction among female medical students who use social media and find the association between social media usage and body image dissatisfaction.Method:A cross-sectional study was conducted among 280 girls between the ages of 19 to 24 years from different years of medical school selected by simple random sampling. Participants were explained the nature of the study during their classes and informed consent was obtained. Female students who have been using social media for at least six months were included in the study and those who suffered from any pre-existing psychiatric illnesses were excluded. Data was collected using a pretested structured questionnaire and analyzed with SPSS version 22. Bivariate and Logistic Regression analyses were done to find the association between body image dissatisfaction and related variables.Results:Among a total of 280 participants, Instagram was the most commonly used social media app followed by WhatsApp and YouTube. The prevalence of body image dissatisfaction was 46.1% among study participants. Social media addiction was seen in 11.4% of participants. Variables that were significantly associated with body image dissatisfaction were body mass index including overweight (AOR = 7.53) and obese (AOR = 2.6) body mass indices, using more than three social media platforms (AOR = 1.86), deceptive behavior (AOR = 2.74) and social media addiction (AOR = 4.97).Conclusion:The impact of the increasing use of social media on today’s youth is evident with the high prevalence of body image dissatisfaction. The current study highlights the need for future interventions and educational strategies to promote positive body image among medical students to cater to the prevention of eating disorders and other mental health issues. Further studies must be conducted on content analysis on social media sites that threaten the body image of our youth.

Social media usage and body image: Examining the mediating roles of internalization of appearance ideals and social comparisons in young women

Nowadays, women are plagued by body anxiety, and social media is gradually destroying women's confidence and deepening women's body image. It's not just teenage women, adult women are also suffering from body images. On social media, women are always troubled by body image and attacked by the outside world. The purpose of this paper is to determine how social media affects women's body image and to identify the types of women who are most influenced by it. This article provides the background information about social media and body image, and also consider the factors that social media influence women in daily life. The paper finds that most of female is struggle with body image and suffer from the body sham. It is clear that social media and body image force many women struggle with poor mental health, and even affect their physical health, in the end of the article, the solutions about addressing the body image in social media, family and individual are provided. Through this article, women's mental health and body anxiety will be paid attention to, and hopefully more women will come out of body anxiety. Future research should focus more comprehensively on women's body image, such as life habits, age, interests and hobbies.

With the proliferation of social media platforms and new-generation aesthetics. There has been a shift in how peopleespecially femaleview and engage with notions of the body and appearance. An increasing amount of research has examined the intricate connection between women's body and appearance issues and social media use over the last ten years. The relationship between young people's appearance anxiety issues and body image has been extensively studied in the literature. However, the influence of social media on the body image and influence of young women has received comparatively less theoretical investigation. It's also critical to comprehend how social media use influences women's body image barriers and perceptions, given the prominence of the internet in the lives of young people and their dependency on it. This essay aims to investigate the ways in which social media influences young women's body image issues and to provide a greater perspective on the research on this topic. It will do this by utilising the theories of social comparison and objectification to uncover and analyse the ways in which young women perceive their bodies and appearances on social media.

Social media use can negatively impact both physical and mental well-being by influencing aspects like body image and potentially leading to eating disorders. This issue is particularly significant during pregnancy, a time when maternal and foetal health are heavily influenced by nutrition. This study aims to examine how social media use affects the relationship between body image and disordered eating attitudes in the third trimester of pregnant women. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a convenience sample of 368 pregnant women during their routine prenatal visits. Data collection occurred between May 2023 to May 2024, utilising the Social Media Use Integration Scale, the Disordered Eating Attitudes in Pregnancy Scale and the Body Image in Pregnancy Scale. The study's hypotheses were analysed using structural equation modelling. The study demonstrated significant positive correlations among body image perception, disordered eating attitudes, and social media use during the third trimester of pregnancy. Particularly, higher levels of social media use exacerbated the negative effects of body image perception on disordered eating attitudes. The overall model explained 29.21% of the variance in disordered eating attitudes, with social media use playing a significant moderating role. These findings suggest that negative body image perceptions and social media use affect disordered eating attitudes in the third trimester of pregnant women. Furthermore, social media use serves as a significant moderator, increasing the negative effects of body image concerns. Healthcare providers should take into account the influence of social media on pregnant women's body image and eating behaviours when developing intervention strategies. Implementing educational programs that promote a positive body image perception and enhance media literacy could be beneficial.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the predictive power of social media use and body image perceptions on eating attitudes among youth in South Africa. Methods and Materials: A correlational descriptive research design was employed involving 350 South African youth participants selected using stratified random sampling, with sample size determined according to Morgan and Krejcie's table. Data were collected using standardized instruments: Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), Social Media Use Integration Scale (SMUIS), and Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ), all validated in previous research. Data analysis was performed using SPSS-27 software, employing descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, and linear regression analyses. Findings: The mean scores for Eating Attitudes (24.53 ± 6.42), Social Media Use (38.29 ± 7.56), and Body Image (107.45 ± 22.18) indicated moderate maladaptive eating behaviors and significant variability in social media usage and body dissatisfaction. Pearson correlation analyses revealed significant positive correlations between Eating Attitudes and Social Media Use (r = .38, p < .01) and Body Image (r = .57, p < .01). Linear regression analyses demonstrated that social media use and body image significantly predicted maladaptive eating attitudes (F(2, 347) = 103.48, p < .01, R² = .37), with body image emerging as the stronger predictor (β = .52, p < .01) compared to social media use (β = .18, p < .01). Conclusion: These results underscore the importance of addressing both social media consumption habits and negative body perceptions through targeted interventions to improve healthy eating attitudes and psychological well-being among youth.

The present research investigates the relationship between social media use, body image and self-compassion among young adults. Social media use, body image and self- compassion play significant roles in the health and psychological well-being of young adults. The research population consisted of 30 adults, ranging from 18 to 30 years old. The objectives of the study required the collection of relevant data through standardized tools on the proposed variables, social media use, body image and self-compassion. The standardized tools used for collecting quantitative data included social media use scale (SMUS), Body shape questionnaire (BSQ-16) and self-compassion short form scale (SCS-FS). The results indicate that there is a positive significant correlation between social media use and Body image. Additionally, there is a negative significant correlation between Self-compassion and social media use among young adults. Excessive use of social media can adversely affect body image and diminish self-compassion by fostering ongoing comparison and self-critique.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the predictive roles of social media use and peer comparison on body image dissatisfaction among university students in India. Methods and Materials: The research employed a correlational descriptive design. A total of 491 university students from India participated in the study, with the sample size determined using the Krejcie and Morgan table. Participants completed three standardized self-report instruments: the Body Shape Questionnaire-34 (BSQ-34) to measure body image dissatisfaction, the Social Media Use Integration Scale (SMUIS) to assess social media use, and the Physical Appearance Comparison Scale-Revised (PACS-R) to evaluate peer comparison. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to examine the relationships between variables, and multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to assess the predictive roles of social media use and peer comparison on body image dissatisfaction. All assumptions for correlation and regression analyses were tested and met. Findings: The results indicated a significant positive correlation between social media use and body image dissatisfaction (r = .41, p < .001), and between peer comparison and body image dissatisfaction (r = .48, p < .001). The multiple linear regression analysis revealed that both social media use (β = .29, p < .001) and peer comparison (β = .36, p < .001) were significant predictors of body image dissatisfaction, explaining 34.2% of the variance in the dependent variable. Peer comparison emerged as a slightly stronger predictor than social media use. Conclusion: The findings underscore the need for educational interventions and mental health strategies aimed at reducing appearance-based social comparison and promoting healthier social media habits to improve body image outcomes.

Abstract: Research has suggested that social media use may present a risk to body image, but limited research explores newer social media platforms and how they are used. This study examined 275 youths’ ( Mage = 20.71) social media use in association with both positive and negative aspects of body image. Participants completed an online survey that included body image measures and items that queried them about the social media platforms they used (e.g., TikTok) and the activities they engaged in on these platforms. Findings indicated that women were more engaged in social media use and had lower body esteem and higher body shame and surveillance than men. Simultaneous regression analyses revealed that appearance-focused social media use, but not communication-focused use, was associated with negative body image. Age moderated the association between appearance-focused social media use and body appreciation. Together, these findings suggest that age, gender, and the ways in which youth use social media are important to consider in understanding potential risk for body image concerns.

This study investigated the impact of social media use on body image and eating behaviour and examined the gender differences in body image and eating behaviour among Malaysian adults. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 150 Malaysian adults using validated measures, including the Social Media Use Scale (SMUS), the Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2), and the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R21 (TFEQ-R18), to assess social media engagement, body image, and eating behaviours. Analysis revealed weak negative correlations between social media use and body image, as well as between social media use and eating behaviour. Additionally, significant gender differences were identified in both body image and eating behaviours. These findings highlight the nuanced yet significant relationships between social media use, body image, and eating behaviour among Malaysian adults, with clear gender disparities. The results underscore the need for gender-responsive interventions aimed at fostering positive body image and promoting healthy eating practices, particularly in the context of growing social media exposure.

An examination of preadolescent girls’ social media use and body image: Type of engagement may matter most

Lien entre usage des réseaux sociaux et image corporelle chez les adolescents : une revue systématique de la littérature