negative effects of social media on body image essay

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Does Social Media Affect Your Body Image?

What messages have you received from social media about how your body should look?

By Callie Holtermann

What do the posts in your social media feeds tell you about how your body should look? How do they affect the way you feel about your body?

In general, how does what you see on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube or other social media sites affect your body image, which is defined as “a combination of the thoughts and feelings that you have about your body”?

In “ What Is ‘Bigorexia’? ” Alex Hawgood writes that some teenage boys feel pressure to build muscle because of what they see on social media:

Like many high school athletes, Bobby , 16, a junior from Long Island, has spent years whipping his body into shape through protein diets and workouts. Between rounds of Fortnite and homework, Bobby goes online to study bodybuilders like Greg Doucette , a 46-year-old fitness personality who has more than 1.3 million YouTube subscribers. Bobby also hits his local gym as frequently as six days a week. “Those guys made me realize I wanted to get bodies like them and post stuff like them,” said Bobby, who has fluffy curls of dark hair and the compact frame of a gymnast. (The New York Times is not publishing the surnames of minors or the names of their parents in this article to protect their privacy.) He makes sure to hit the fridge, too, grazing on protein-packed Kodiak Cakes and muscle-mass-building Oreo shakes. He consumes so much protein that classmates sometimes gawk at him for eating upward of eight chicken-and-rice meals at school. But Bobby isn’t getting buff so he can stand out during varsity tryouts. His goal is to compete in a different arena: TikTok. Bobby now posts his own workout TikToks. Shot on his iPhone 11, usually at the gym or in his family’s living room, the videos are devoted to topics like how to get a “gorilla chest,” “Popeye forearms” or “Lil Uzi’s abs.”

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• Eur Psychiatry
• v.65(Suppl 1); 2022 Jun

Impact of social media on self-esteem and body image among young adults

R. molina ruiz.

1 Hospital clínico san carlos, Psychiatry, Madrid, Spain

I. Alfonso-Fuertes

2 Comillas University, Psychology, Madrid, Spain

S. González Vives

Introduction.

The extent to which social media contributes to body image dissatisfaction and lower self-esteem is currently under debate

This research seeks to study the relationship between the use of Instagram (one of the main platforms used by young people nowadays) and the degree of dissatisfaction with body image and the level of self-esteem among their younger users

A sample of 585 Spanish adults between 18 and 40 years old was used, to whom the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ), the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale and the Social Comparison of Appearance Scale (PACS) were applied.

A positive correlation was observed between the frequency of use of the social network and dissatisfaction with body image and low self-esteem. In addition, it was found that content observation time significantly predicts body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem. On the other hand, the type of content both published and observed, showed no effect on any of these variables, although it has been found that the relationship between the use of the platform and the study variables seems to be mediated by the tendency of their users to compare their appearance with others.

Conclusions

These results invite us to reflect on the use of social networks and their impact on constructs as relevant to the person as self-esteem and body image and on how different policies should be taken into account to prevent a negative impact on the mental health of their users

No significant relationships.

The Impact of Social Media on Body Image Perception and Eating Disorders

• Jiakun Wang Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China

This essay discusses the negative impact of social media on body image and the promotion of healthier attitudes towards food and body diversity. It explores the sociocultural and psychological factors that contribute to susceptibility to social media influence, such as self-esteem, body image dissatisfaction, the need for social approval, perfectionism, and social comparison orientation. Peer pressure and social comparison are identified as significant influences on social media platforms. Potential solutions and interventions are proposed, including media literacy education, promoting body positivity and diversity, encouraging responsible social media use, developing evidence-based resources, fostering a supportive online community, collaborating with influencers and content creators, and encouraging individuals to seek professional help. By addressing these issues, we can work towards mitigating the negative impact of social media on body image and promoting healthier attitudes towards food and body diversity.

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The sneaky ways social media can sabotage your body image — and 3 easy tips to help you break the cycle

• Social media can negatively affect body image by over-exposing you to "idealized" body types. 
• While posting selfies may help body image, trying to edit out perceived flaws can be harmful. 
• To reduce harm on social media, unfollow accounts, find a healthy community, and take breaks. 

With an estimated 3.6 billion users worldwide , social media is a large part of today's culture. But consistently scrolling through posts — particularly images that evoke negative feelings or elevate a certain body type — can impact how you see yourself. 

Because social media is filled with people presenting themselves in their best light, it can be difficult to avoid images and messages that might make you feel negatively about your body. But there are ways you can curate your feed to make it a healthier space for you.

Here's how social media can affect body image and tips for using it in a more positive way. 

How social media can negatively affect body image 

Body image refers to your perspective of your body's appearance and how it compares to societal standards. A negative body image can cause unrealistic expectations of how your body should look and could lead to unhealthy behaviors, like disordered eating. 

A small 2018 study found a correlation between time spent on social media, negative body image, and disordered eating. This was especially true if participants were scrolling through appearance-related content, like the account of a fitness instructor or model on Instagram.

Here are some of the sneaky ways that social media can distort how you perceive your body: 

Constant comparisons 

One of the ways social media can hurt your body image is by exposing you to images of "idealized" body types, causing you to compare yourself to them. 

"People end up creating unrealistic ideals for themselves based on what they see and feel distressed when they aren't able to meet those ideas or self-expectations," says Neha Chaudhary , MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School .

A 2015 study found that female-identifying college students who spent more time on Facebook had poorer body image. The researchers concluded that "young women who spend more time on Facebook may feel more concerned about their body because they compare their appearance to others (especially to peers)."

These comparisons can be part of a vicious cycle. 

In a 2021 study of 15 to 35-year-olds, the more they compared themselves to people they followed on social media, the more dissatisfied they became with their bodies. The researchers also pointed out that, if the subjects were already dissatisfied with their bodies, it could increase the drive to compare themselves to others on social media. 

This behavior could lead to disordered eating or other unhealthy habits. Each type of eating disorder has different symptoms, but some signs of an eating disorder can include:

• Low body weight
• Frequent weight fluctuations
• Hiding food or eating alone
• Preoccupation with body weight or appearance
• Binging and purging

Photoshop and filters

Of all the photos you see on your social media feeds, there's a good chance most of them have been edited. According to a 2017 Harris Poll , nearly two-thirds of Americans edit their photos before posting.

Photoshop and filters that alter or edit images can also contribute to negative body image, says Jill M. Emanuele , PhD, the senior director of the Mood Disorders Center at the Child Mind Institute, a national nonprofit that supports families with mental health and learning disorders. 

"Photoshop and filters present people and things in their best light," Emanuele says. "It creates a distorted fantasy world and raises the bar on what people perceive is 'the best' way to be."  

Even the process of editing your own images can play a role in how you perceive your body. According to a 2022 review , research found that taking and editing selfies was more harmful than posting them, perhaps because it allows you to focus on — and try to fix — your flaws. 

Interestingly, posting images doesn't seem to have the same effect. A 2016 study showed that posting more selfies on instagram was associated with a higher degree of body image satisfaction. Another 2020 study of women found that posting selfies was associated with an increase in self-esteem.

Fitspo and thinspo

Fitspiration and thinspiration — otherwise known as "fitspo" and "thinspo" — are terms that describe social media accounts and images that encourage users to be fit and thin. 

A large 2017 study surveyed US college women and found about 10% had created social media posts about weight, body image, exercise, or dieting over a one-month period. Meanwhile, 27.4% commented on friends' posts about these topics. 

Researchers concluded that more time spent on Facebook leads to more frequent body and weight comparisons and more negative feelings about one's body. It also found that for women who wanted to lose weight, more time on Facebook resulted in more disordered eating symptoms.

Negative effects for men 

While most studies on social media and body image focus on women, a 2020 study found similar effects in men. 

The study analyzed 1,000 Instagram posts uploaded by male-identifying persons and evaluated responses — in the form of likes and comments. Most of the posts depicted muscularity and leanness, and the posts displaying this body type received the highest number of likes and comments. The researchers concluded that these findings are "potentially harmful to men's body image." 

For men, the proliferation of a lean, muscle-laden body type on social media could lead to body dissatisfaction and muscle dysmorphia . Muscle dysmorphia — a type of body dysmorphia — is when one perceives that their body is not muscular or lean enough. It can cause people to engage in unhealthy amounts of exercise and may lead to disordered eating. 

According to a 2015 report , stigmas around seeking help for mental illness and eating disorders could discourage some men from getting a diagnosis and treatment. Plus, the assumption that women are most affected by eating disorders could cause more men to go undiagnosed and less likely to receive treatment early on , when it would be most effective.

How social media can promote body positivity 

Negative impacts of social media on body image are well documented, but social media can also have a positive effect on your body image, Chaudhary says. 

Body positive content and communities

A 2019 Australian study surveyed women between 18 and 30 after viewing body positive content on Instagram. Body positive content seeks to show appreciation and acceptance for all types of bodies. Researchers concluded that after viewing positive content, the women not only felt better about their bodies, but they were also in better moods. 

"People tend to emulate what they see or adjust their expectations of themselves based on what others are doing or how they look," Chaudhary says. "Advocates of body positivity and influential figures definitely have a unique ability to make a positive impact on how people view themselves and their bodies, especially when it comes to young people."

Social media can also positively impact body image by connecting you with others that help build a body-accepting community, Emanuele says. 

Instagram vs. reality

One trend that aims to expose social media's ultra-curated, performative standards are " Instagram versus reality " images. These images often show an edited photo of someone at their best angle alongside a more "real" photo that shows their imperfections. 

In a 2019 study , women were shown these types of posts, either in their original form or just the "reality" or "instagram" images separately. Researchers found that women felt less dissatisfaction with their bodies after seeing either the "reality" images or the "instagram versus reality" images side by side.

Tips to foster a healthy relationship with social media  

Social media can negatively affect your body image, mood, and overall mental health, but there are ways to counteract this. Here are three suggestions for curating a more positive feed:

1. Take a break. If you find you feel worse after scrolling, take a step back and see how you feel after disengaging. If you feel better, there's no shame in putting your phone down for a while, whether that be a few hours, days, or weeks. Even a weeklong break can be enough to boost your mood, a 2022 study found.

2. Unfollow accounts that don't make you feel good. Pay attention to which accounts, people, and images lift you up. "I tell my patients that one of the biggest shifts they can make is to start to replace content that leaves them feeling worse with content that makes them feel better when they consume it," Chaudhary says.

3. Find a community. Follow body positive accounts and join supportive groups that can help shift your mindset about "ideal" body types.  

Insider's takeaway

You may think you are simply scrolling through social media to unwind, but research has found the images you see and the people you interact with can have an impact on your self-perception. 

But, that doesn't mean all social media use is bad. It just means you may need to re-evaluate how you use social media.

You can make social media a healthier environment for you, whether that means unfollowing certain accounts, finding a healthy community, or taking breaks from the daily scroll. 

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The Effects of Social Media Use on Teens' Body Image

Can the negative impact of social media use on body image in youth be reversed.

Posted December 31, 2023 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader

• Social media and body image concerns are prevalent among youth.
• Social media may impact body image and mental health via unfavourable social comparisons.
• Reducing social media use can improve body image in youth.

Social media has become the primary form of interaction amongst Gen Z “tech-savvy” adolescents and young adults. You know, the ones we go to when we can’t figure out how to reset our password. It’s such an ingrained part of their youth and modern-day culture, that a life without social media or a smartphone is unfathomable. Given that social media is still a relatively new form of communication, combined with its now omnipresent use, there is widespread concern about its effects on mental health in youth. Adolescence and young adulthood are stages of life known to have rapid social, emotional, and physical changes. This makes the teen years and transition to early adulthood a particularly vulnerable period for developing mental health issues.

The most obvious benefit of social media is that it allows youth, no matter where they are situated, to instantly connect, to engage with their peers through messaging, and to share pictures and videos. While this connectedness to the world around them can be positive, it comes with a cost, at least for some youth. Common features such as the number of friends or followers, or the number of likes of pictures or posts are often viewed as a reflection of one’s popularity. The social comparisons that impressionable young teens make can influence how they feel about themselves and their bodies.

We have long known that exposure to unrealistic beauty standards that are portrayed in popular culture can have a negative effect on body image . However, in the modern digital era, youth are exposed to hundreds, if not thousands, of images a day. Photos and posts on social media are chosen to present and maintain a carefully constructed image of one’s best self. They are frequently enhanced by photo and body-editing program “filters,” making appearance comparisons unattainable and dangerous. These online portrayals of overly positive and oftentimes false “realities“ can leave youth feeling dissatisfied with their appearance, and that their lives don’t measure up. This virtual popularity contest can also lead to a strong pressure to post and “keep up” or risk being perceived as unpopular or leading less interesting lives, resulting in even greater dissatisfaction. The unending search for the perfect picture inevitably takes valuable time away from activities that could actually make youth feel better about themselves.

What’s known about social media’s influence on body image?

Many studies have shown a rising trend for greater body and weight dissatisfaction amongst youth who are heavy or frequent users of social media. However, these studies are largely correlational rather than causal in nature. Simply put, those studies did not determine if high exposure to social media created poorer body image amongst its users, or whether those suffering from body image concerns spent more time on social media. This lack of clarity led my students and me to embark on a study to better understand the causal effects of social media on body image and mental health.

We recruited a group of Canadian youth aged 17-24 years who were using social media for more than two hours per day and also experiencing higher levels of emotional distress. We tracked their social media use for one week by having participants send daily screenshots of their usage. These youth spent approximately two and a half hours per day on social media. During this same period, we also assessed their body image and other mental health measures. Participants were then assigned to two groups. The intervention group reduced their daily social media use to one hour per day. The control group continued to have unrestricted use of social media. After the three-week intervention period ended, those who reduced daily social media use reported significantly greater improvements in appearance esteem and weight esteem compared to those who had not reduced their social media use.

What does this mean going forward?

In a society where demands for child and youth mental health services are increasing and waitlists for care are long, we urgently need to identify simple but effective strategies that parents and youth can do to feel better. The good news is that the results of this study suggest that reducing social media use to more moderate levels—about one hour per day—is a good place to start.

Replacing social media use with more mental health-promoting activities such as physical activity, time in nature, pursuing hobbies, and spending quality time with friends and family can yield even greater psychological benefits.

Stay tuned for future posts as my laboratory and others continue to explore the relationship between various forms of digital media use, mental health, and social and cognitive development among our most precious resources: our children and youth.

Thai, H., Davis, C. G., Mahboob, W., Perry, S., Adams, A., & Goldfield, G. S. (In Press). Reducing social media use improves appearance and weight esteem in youth with emotional distress. Psychology of Popular Media , online February, 2023 https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fppm0000460

Gary Goldfield, PhD., C. Psych., is a Senior Scientist with the Healthy Active Living & Obesity (HALO) Research Group at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute in Ottawa, Canada.

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Just How Harmful Is Social Media? Our Experts Weigh-In.

A recent investigation by the Wall Street Journal revealed that Facebook was aware of mental health risks linked to the use of its Instagram app but kept those findings secret. Internal research by the social media giant found that Instagram worsened body image issues for one in three teenage girls, and all teenage users of the app linked it to experiences of anxiety and depression. It isn’t the first evidence of social media’s harms. Watchdog groups have identified Facebook and Instagram as avenues for cyberbullying , and reports have linked TikTok to dangerous and antisocial behavior, including a recent spate of school vandalism .

As social media has proliferated worldwide—Facebook has 2.85 billion users—so too have concerns over how the platforms are affecting individual and collective wellbeing. Social media is criticized for being addictive by design and for its role in the spread of misinformation on critical issues from vaccine safety to election integrity, as well as the rise of right-wing extremism. Social media companies, and many users, defend the platforms as avenues for promoting creativity and community-building. And some research has pushed back against the idea that social media raises the risk for depression in teens . So just how healthy or unhealthy is social media?

Two experts from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Columbia Psychiatry share their insights into one crucial aspect of social media’s influence—its effect on the mental health of young people and adults. Deborah Glasofer , associate professor of psychology in psychiatry, conducts psychotherapy development research for adults with eating disorders and teaches about cognitive behavioral therapy. She is the co-author of the book Eating Disorders: What Everyone Needs to Know. Claude Mellins , Professor of medical psychology in the Departments of Psychiatry and Sociomedical Sciences, studies wellbeing among college and graduate students, among other topics, and serves as program director of CopeColumbia, a peer support program for Columbia faculty and staff whose mental health has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. She co-led the SHIFT research study to reduce sexual violence among undergraduates. Both use social media.

What do we know about the mental health risks of social media use?

Mellins : Facebook and Instagram and other social media platforms are important sources of socialization and relationship-building for many young people. Although there are important benefits, social media can also provide platforms for bullying and exclusion, unrealistic expectations about body image and sources of popularity, normalization of risk-taking behaviors, and can be detrimental to mental health. Girls and young people who identify as sexual and gender minorities can be especially vulnerable as targets. Young people’s brains are still developing, and as individuals, young people are developing their own identities. What they see on social media can define what is expected in ways that is not accurate and that can be destructive to identity development and self-image. Adolescence is a time of risk-taking, which is both a strength and a vulnerability. Social media can exacerbate risks, as we have seen played out in the news. 

Although there are important benefits, social media can also provide platforms for bullying and exclusion, unrealistic expectations about body image and sources of popularity, normalization of risk-taking behaviors, and can be detrimental to mental health. – Claude Mellins

Glasofer : For those vulnerable to developing an eating disorder, social media may be especially unhelpful because it allows people to easily compare their appearance to their friends, to celebrities, even older images of themselves. Research tells us that how much someone engages with photo-related activities like posting and sharing photos on Facebook or Instagram is associated with less body acceptance and more obsessing about appearance. For adolescent girls in particular, the more time they spend on social media directly relates to how much they absorb the idea that being thin is ideal, are driven to try to become thin, and/or overly scrutinize their own bodies. Also, if someone is vulnerable to an eating disorder, they may be especially attracted to seeking out unhelpful information—which is all too easy to find on social media.

Are there any upsides to social media?

Mellins : For young people, social media provides a platform to help them figure out who they are. For very shy or introverted young people, it can be a way to meet others with similar interests. During the pandemic, social media made it possible for people to connect in ways when in-person socialization was not possible.  Social support and socializing are critical influences on coping and resilience. Friends we couldn’t see in person were available online and allowed us important points of connection. On the other hand, fewer opportunities for in-person interactions with friends and family meant less of a real-world check on some of the negative influences of social media.

Whether it’s social media or in person, a good peer group makes the difference. A group of friends that connects over shared interests like art or music, and is balanced in their outlook on eating and appearance, is a positive. – Deborah Glasofer

Glasofer : Whether it’s social media or in person, a good peer group makes the difference. A group of friends that connects over shared interests like art or music, and is balanced in their outlook on eating and appearance, is a positive. In fact, a good peer group online may be protective against negative in-person influences. For those with a history of eating disorders, there are body-positive and recovery groups on social media. Some people find these groups to be supportive; for others, it’s more beneficial to move on and pursue other interests.

Is there a healthy way to be on social media?

Mellins : If you feel social media is a negative experience, you might need a break. Disengaging with social media permanently is more difficult­—especially for young people. These platforms are powerful tools for connecting and staying up-to-date with friends and family. Social events, too. If you’re not on social media then you’re reliant on your friends to reach out to you personally, which doesn’t always happen. It’s complicated.

Glasofer : When you find yourself feeling badly about yourself in relation to what other people are posting about themselves, then social media is not doing you any favors. If there is anything on social media that is negatively affecting your actions or your choices­—for example, if you’re starting to eat restrictively or exercise excessively—then it’s time to reassess. Parents should check-in with their kids about their lives on social media. In general, I recommend limiting social media— creating boundaries that are reasonable and work for you—so you can be present with people in your life. I also recommend social media vacations. It’s good to take the time to notice the difference between the virtual world and the real world.

Reducing social media use significantly improves body image in teens, young adults

• Social Media and Internet

Participants saw results in weeks, study says

Read the journal article

• Reducing Social Media Use Improves Appearance and Weight Esteem in Youth With Emotional Distress (PDF, 951KB)

Washington — Teens and young adults who reduced their social media use by 50% for just a few weeks saw significant improvement in how they felt about both their weight and their overall appearance compared with peers who maintained consistent levels of social media use, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

“Adolescence is a vulnerable period for the development of body image issues, eating disorders and mental illness,” said lead author Gary Goldfield, PhD, of Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute. “Youth are spending, on average, between six to eight hours per day on screens, much of it on social media. Social media can expose users to hundreds or even thousands of images and photos every day, including those of celebrities and fashion or fitness models, which we know leads to an internalization of beauty ideals that are unattainable for almost everyone, resulting in greater dissatisfaction with body weight and shape.”

However, much of the psychological research on social media, body image and mental health is correlational, according to Goldfield, so it is uncertain whether people with body image and mental health issues spend more time on social media or if social media use leads to greater body image and mental health issues.

To better understand the causal effects of reducing social media use on body image, Goldfield and his colleagues previously conducted a pilot study with 38 undergraduate students with elevated levels of anxiety and/or depression. Some of the participants were asked to limit their social media use to no more than 60 minutes per day, while others were allowed unrestricted access. Compared with participants who had unlimited access, participants who restricted their use showed improvements in how they regarded their overall appearance (but not their weight) after three weeks. Due to the small sample size, though, the researchers were unable to conduct a meaningful analysis of the effect of gender.

The current experiment, involving 220 undergraduate students aged 17–25 (76% female, 23% male, 1% other) and published in the journal Psychology of Popular Media , sought to expand the pilot study and address the gender limitation. In order to qualify, participants had to be regular social media users (at least two hours per day on their smartphones) and exhibit symptoms of depression or anxiety.

For the first week of the experiment, all participants were instructed to use their social media as they normally would. Social media use was measured using a screentime tracking program to which participants provided a daily screenshot. After the first week, half the participants were instructed to reduce their social media use to no more than 60 minutes per day. At the start of the experiment, participants also responded to a series of statements about their overall appearance (e.g., “I’m pretty happy about the way I look”) and weight (e.g., “I am satisfied with my weight”) on a 5-point scale, with 1 indicating “never” and 5 “always.” Participants completed a similar questionnaire at the end of the experiment.

For the next three weeks, participants who were instructed to restrict their social media use reduced it by approximately 50% to an average of 78 minutes per day versus the control group, which averaged 188 minutes of social media use per day.

Participants who reduced their social media use had a significant improvement in how they regarded both their overall appearance and body weight after the three-week intervention, compared with the control group, who saw no significant change. Gender did not appear to make any difference in the effects.

“Our brief, four-week intervention using screentime trackers showed that reducing social media use yielded significant improvements in appearance and weight esteem in distressed youth with heavy social media use,” said Goldfield. “Reducing social media use is a feasible method of producing a short-term positive effect on body image among a vulnerable population of users and should be evaluated as a potential component in the treatment of body-image-related disturbances.”

While the current study was conducted as a proof of concept, Goldfield and his colleagues are in the process of conducting a larger study to see if reduction in social media use can be maintained for longer periods and whether that reduction can lead to even greater psychological benefits.

Article: “Reducing Social Media Use Improves Appearance and Weight Esteem in Youth with Emotional Distress,” by Helen Thai, BA, McGill University; Christopher Davis, PhD, Wardah Mahboob, MA, Sabrina Perry, BA, and Alex Adams, BA, Carleton University; and Gary Goldfield, PhD, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. Psychology of Popular Media , published online Feb. 23, 2023.

Gary Goldfield, PhD, can be contacted via email .

Jim Sliwa (202) 336-5707

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Social media effects on body image and eating disorders

• Author By Bella Fleps
• April 21, 2021

The rise of social media usage in today’s society can have many different effects on body image and the later development of eating disorders in many individuals. Research clearly shows that media exposure contributes to body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. Social media is unfortunately shaping our concept of beauty. With constant exposure to images posted online, it is evident that there is a link to how individuals compare themselves and perceive their own body. There are an estimated 3.6 billion users worldwide on social media, therefore there must be negative and positive effects linked with social media users.

A negative body image can cause unrealistic expectations of how your body should look and can lead to unhealthy eating behaviors and disordered eating. Studies have found a correlation between the time spent on social media and a negative body image. The correlation is especially true when participants were scrolling through appearance-related content, like accounts of a fitness instructor or model on Instagram. Social media images are filled with people presenting the best version of themselves. Social media can then hurt your body image by constantly exposing yourself to the ideal body type, leading to constant comparison of yourself to unrealistic standards. Additionally, photoshop and filters are readily available to users playing into the unrealistic body image.

However, social media can also have positive effects on body image and can promote body positivity. Viewing body-positive content on social media platforms can help individuals become more accepting and appreciative of their bodies. Additionally, social media can connect you with others to build a body-accepting community.

It is important to examine ways to use social media in a positive way to avoid a negative body image. It is important to take a break from social media if you feel worse after using it. Additionally, examine who you are following on social media and unfollow accounts if they do not make you feel good. Instead, pay attention to accounts, people, and images that lift you up. Follow accounts that promote body positivity that does not agree with the beauty standards set by society. (A great account to follow to begin your search for body positivity accounts is @realistic.body.therapist on Instagram.)  Finding body-positive accounts and joining support groups can help shift your mindset about the ideal body image set by society. Furthermore, you can use your own social media to be an advocate for positive body talk. Shout out to media outlets, retailers, advertisers, and celebrity product endorsers who celebrate and promote natural looks, healthy body size, and diverse body shapes. You can take a stand and refuse to read, view, or listen to media or buy advertised products that do not promote a healthy and diverse body image.

Students should also consider participating in The Body Project or More Than Muscles programs offered through Student Counseling Services. These workshops help students develop and maintain a positive body image and are scientifically supported eating disorder prevention programs. Students will get a chance to dive deeper in conversations about the body image ideal set by society and promoted to us by the media.

For more information on how media effects body image visit https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/media-eating-disorders .

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Data Collection Methods to Study Body Image and Social Media

Body checking questionnaire (bcq), reference list.

The definition of body image and the perceptions driven by social media are topics that attract significant attention from scholars. According to Alebachew and Ashagrie (2017, p. 330), body image encompasses a multidimensional paradigm describing a person’s perception or depiction of their outward look. Thus, it revolves around mental images held by individuals regarding their physical appearance. Vannucci and Ohannessian (2018, p.786) point out that body image dissatisfaction (BID) is one of the hypothesized concepts that discuss the incongruity between the ideal and current physical appearance, mainly body size estimation (Ho, Lee and Liao, 2016). Saiphoo and Vahedi (2019, p. 260) assert that social media affects the behavioural, cognitive, affective, and evaluative components of an individual.

Therefore, social media is associated with body image due to its power to influence the psychological aspects of a person that translates to feelings of discontentment with physical appearance (Fardouly, Pinkus and Vartanian 2017, p. 31). Media and culture significantly influence an individuals’ perception of their physical appearance and overall body image. Jung and Jeong (2017, p. 268) allude that exposure to idealised images makes a person feel dissatisfied with their body. As a result, victims exhibit depression and low self-esteem. Thus, people exposed to idealised beauty through social and mainstream media develop or reinforce negative feelings.

Social media has positive impacts on individuals’ perception of their physical appearance based on comparison attributes. For instance, some people feel motivated when they compare themselves to others with better physical attributes (Cramer, Song and Drent 2016, p. 742). In this regard, Social Comparison Theory (SCT) posits that individuals liken their looks to assess their abilities (Robinson et al ., 2017, p. 69). It confirms that people who compare themselves constructively on social media maintain a positive outlook of their body image. Slater, Varsani, and Diedrichs (2017, p. 91) assert that females who read inspiration statements on social media have better physical satisfaction, high positive mood and appreciate their body compared to those who view unbiased images.

Conversely, social media adversely affects an individual’s view of their body appearance. Consequently, they engage in binge eating or food deprivation to attain ideal body size ( The link between social media and body image , 2019). Individuals also change how they look by participating in disordered eating behaviours due to social comparisons (Santarossa and Woodruff, 2017). Social media triggers low self-esteem in people dissatisfied with their body image. A study in the United Kingdom established by Kelly et al . (2018, p. 59) found that girls demonstrate low self-esteem (12.8%) and body-weight displeasure (78.2%) more often compared to 8.9% and 68.3% in boys, respectively. The outcomes underscore the adverse effect of social media on self-esteem due to negative body image perceptions.

Body Image Avoidance Questionnaire (BIAQ)

BIAQ is one of the leading tools used to collect data for evaluating the implication of social media on body image perception. BIAQ includes self-reported questions that focus on behavioural avoidance of situations or practices that influence body image-related distress or displeasure. According to Legenbauer et al . (2020 p. 3), the form contains 19 components spread across four subcategories, which include clothing, social activities, restraint, and grooming/weighing. However, a German version of the questionnaire encompasses three elements; it contains clothing, eating restraint, and social activity, founded on 11 sublevels. The survey consists of a 6-pointscoring scale that establishes the occurrence of targeted behaviour; it starts with never (0) and ends with always (5) (Sandoz et al ., 2020). BIAQ measures behavioural evasion across several purviews that reflect body image discernments.

Therefore, the scale is useful in helping clinicians understand body image concerns demonstrated by patients. Internal consistency validates BIAQ’s significance as a tool for assessing the implication of social media on physical appearance perception. Legenbauer et al . (2020, p. 3) confirm that the questionnaire has good internal consistency marked by a Cronbach’s α=0.64-0.76. Besides, it shows stable test-retest reliability between α=0.64 and α=0.81. Another evaluation by Stapleton, McIntyre and Bannatyne (2016, p.103) found that BIAQ has a dependable internal validity between α=0.64 and α=0.8 based on psychometrical measurements. The tool also provides appropriate, discriminate data across age and gender and between clinical and non-clinical groups.

Body Image Assessment Scale-Body Dimensions (BIAS-BD)

BIAS-BD is an assessment tool examined in 2009 by Gardner et al . that helps collect data to examine how body size affects females’ perception of their physical appearance. The survey utilizes a pictographic scale of profile figures intended to characterise different body proportions ranging between 60% and 140% of a representative Body Mass Index (BMI) of females. Wagner, Aguirre and Sumner (2016) explain that the U.S. Air Force created BIAS-BD through the Material Command Unit with the help of the Generator of Body Data (GEBOD) program. Accordingly, the developers used a sample of 4,325 respondents and ran a regression analysis to produce outlines within intervals of five per cent for each size of a female body (Wagner, Aguirre and Sumner, 2016). Thus, it contains 17 shapes representing diverse BMIs while upholding body dimensions. BIAS-BD is useful in predicting BMI as a positive correlation component associated with people’s sense of dissatisfaction with physical appearance (Sharif, 2017, p. 718). A review by Wagner, Aguirre and Sumner (2016) shows that BIAS-BD produces significant results when assessing the influence of social media on body image elements, such as actual size and dissatisfaction. For instance, the bivariate correlation study conducted by Lewallen (2016, p. 109) indicates that Instagram induces a moderately positive relationship between real BMI and dissatisfaction. Both components had a mean of 21.59 and 13.76 and standard deviation of 3.17 and 11.74, respectively, at r = 0.44 and p < 0.001 (Wagner, Aguirre and Sumner, 2016). Although there is no sufficient evidence to ascertain the validity of BIAS-BD, the statistics exemplify its significance in collecting data to investigate the correlation between social media and body image.

BCQ is a self-administered survey used to collect data for assessing the ways people react to their bodies when exposed to elements, such as social media, which influence their perception. The survey contains 23 items ranked using a Likert scale ranging from one to five (Maïano et al ., 2019). The rating helps to determine how usually a particular behaviour occurs when exposed to triggering factors. Reas (2017) expounds that BCQ considers the total score of individual components between 23 and 115. Besides, it includes a single measurement factor (Body checking), which is compared to interrelated sub-factors. In addition, an Idiosyncratic Checking Scale (ICS) with five elements is integrated into BCQ to examine unusual control behaviour. Legenbauer et al . (2020, p. 3) confirm that BCQ has a reliable internal consistency with Cronbach’s α=0.83-0.92. A German version of BCQ shows similar validity levels marked by Cronbach’s alpha between 0.83 and 0.95. The robust stability makes BCQ a useful tool for collecting data to study the implication of social media on body image perception.

Alebachew, F. and Ashagrie, M. (2017) ‘The body-image concept analysis of youth and adolescent’, American Journal of Biomedical and Life Sciences , 5(6), pp. 130-134.

Cramer, E.M., Song, H. and Drent, A.M. (2016) ‘Social comparison on Facebook: motivation, affective consequences, self-esteem, and Facebook fatigue’, Computers in Human Behavior , 64, pp. 736-746.

Fardouly, J., Pinkus, R.T. and Vartanian, L.R. (2017) ‘The impact of appearance comparisons made through social media, traditional media, and in person in women’s everyday lives’, Body Image , 20, pp. 31-39.

Ho, S. S., Lee, E. W., & Liao, Y. (2016) ‘Social network sites, friends, and celebrities: the roles of social comparison and celebrity involvement in adolescents’ body image dissatisfaction’, Social Media+ Society , 2(3).

Jung, M.R. and Jeong, E. (2017) ‘Convergence factors influencing body image in adolescents’, Journal of Digital Convergence , 15(8), pp. 267-275.

Kelly, Y. et al . (2018) ‘Social media use and adolescent mental health: findings from the UK Millennium Cohort Study’, EClinical Medicine , 6, pp. 59-68.

Legenbauer, T. et al. (2020) ‘The body image approach test (BIAT): a potential measure of the behavioral components of body image disturbance in anorexia and bulimia nervosa?’ Frontiers in Psychology , 11, p. 30.

Lewallen, J. (2016) ‘When image isn’t everything: the effects of Instagram frames on social comparison’, The Journal of Social Media in Society , 5(2), pp.108-133.

Maïano, C. et al . (2019) ‘Psychometric properties of the body checking questionnaire (BCQ) and of the body checking cognitions scale (BCCS): a bifactor-exploratory structural equation modeling approach’, Assessment.

Reas D.L. (2017) ‘Body checking questionnaire (BCQ)’, in Wade, T. (ed), Encyclopedia of feeding and eating disorders . Singapore: Springer. pp. 65-69

Robinson, L. et al . (2017) ‘Idealised media images: the effect of fitspiration imagery on body satisfaction and exercise behaviour’, Body Image , 22, pp. 65-71.

Saiphoo, A.N. and Vahedi, Z. (2019) ‘A meta-analytic review of the relationship between social media use and body image disturbance’, Computers in Human Behavior , 101, pp. 259-275.

Sandoz, E.K. et al . (2020) ‘Relative associations of body image avoidance constructs with eating disorder pathology in a large college student sample’, Body Image , 34, pp. 242-248.

Santarossa, S. and Woodruff, S.J. (2017) ‘# SocialMedia: exploring the relationship of social networking sites on body image, self-esteem, and eating disorders’, Social Media+ Society , 3(2).

Sharif, P.S. (2017) ‘Development and psychometric evaluation of the breast size satisfaction scale’, International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, 30 ( 8), pp. 717-727. Web.

Slater, A., Varsani, N. and Diedrichs, P.C. (2017) ‘# fitspo or# loveyourself? the impact of fitspiration and self-compassion Instagram images on women’s body image, self-compassion, and mood’, Body Image , 22, pp. 87-96.

Stapleton, P., McIntyre, T. and Bannatyne, A. (2016) ‘Body image avoidance, body dissatisfaction, and eating pathology: is there a difference between male gym users and non–gym users?’ American Journal of Men’s Health , 10(2), pp. 100-109.

The link between social media and body image (2019) Web.

Vannucci, A. and Ohannessian, C.M. (2018) ‘Body image dissatisfaction and anxiety trajectories during adolescence’, Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology , 47(5), pp. 785-795.

Wagner, C., Aguirre, E. and Sumner, E. M. (2016) ‘The relationship between Instagram selfies and body image in young adult women,’ First Monday , 21(9). Web.

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IvyPanda . "The Definition of Body Image and Social Media." February 23, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-definition-of-body-image-and-social-media/.