Facebook and body image concern in adolescent girls: A prospective study

A brief mindfulness meditation can ameliorate the effects of exposure to idealised social media images on self-esteem, mood, and body appreciation in young women: An online randomised controlled experiment

The study examined whether a 10-minute mindfulness meditation intervention could ameliorate effects of exposure to social media thinspiration and fitspiration images on women's self-esteem, mood, and body appreciation. A total of 162 women aged 18-42 years (M = 25.94, SD = 4.38) completed an online experiment which involved viewing thinspiration and fitspiration images before random allocation to either a brief, ten-minute mindfulness meditation audio intervention or a ten-minute control audio about jujitsu. Participants completed self-reported measures of self-esteem, positive and negative mood, and body appreciation at baseline (Time 1), post-exposure to idealised social media images (Time 2), and immediately post-intervention (Time 3). Mixed, repeated-measures ANOVAs showed that scores were lower for body appreciation, self-esteem, and positive mood, and higher for negative mood, in both groups after exposure to idealised imagery. However, a brief mindfulness intervention ameliorated the negative effects of social media exposure. Specifically, self-esteem, body appreciation, and mood were higher in the mindfulness meditation group at Time 3, compared to the control group. Future interventions should explore the utility of mindfulness practices to provide long term buffering effects against such social media content, as well as targeting the idealisation of female physiques portrayed in thinspiration and fitspiration content.

COVID-19-Related distress, body image, and eating behaviors: a cross-sectional explanatory model

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with increased body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviors in adolescents. To better understand these associations, this study tested an explanatory model in which appearance-focused social media use, internalization of social media pressure, and mindfulness abilities mediated the relationship between COVID-related distress and body dissatisfaction, which in turn was associated with dietary restraint and binge eating episodes.

METHODS

Adolescents (N = 493, Mage= 16.7; 47.5% girls) recruited within high schools completed online measures. We conducted model testing through path analysis in MPlus, using modification indices to derive a well-fitting model.

RESULTS

The initially hypothesized model was a poor fit for the data. The final well-adjusted model confirmed several significant paths and supported the parallel mediational roles of social media (specifically, the use of appearance-focused social media and internalization of social media pressure) along with mindfulness, on the relationship between COVID-19-related distress and body satisfaction. Model adjustments involved adding three paths, resulting in two additional significant indirect effects, and suppressing one path.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that mindfulness, media use and the internalization of social media pressure are potential key processes explaining body dissatisfaction and eating disorders among adolescents who experienced higher levels of COVID-related distress.

Further evidence of the association between social media use, eating disorder pathology and appearance ideals and pressure: a cross-sectional study in Norwegian adolescents

BACKGROUND

Few studies have investigated how the plethora of contemporary social media (SM) platforms relate to, and influence eating disorder (ED) pathology, appearance ideals and pressure to conform to these ideals in youth.

METHODS

In this study, 1558 girls (53%) and boys (47%), predominantly within the 16-19 age range, completed an online questionnaire assessing SM use and perceived influence on appearance, ED pathology, internalization of appearance ideals and perceived appearance pressure.

RESULTS

Results showed that ED pathology was common, particularly in girls, and that internalization of body ideals was gender specific, a thin ideal being more prevalent in girls, and a muscular ideal being more common in boys. Results also showed a strong association between ED pathology and perceived pressure to conform to these appearance ideals. One fourth of the participants reported spending four hours or more on SM daily, and 80% of girls reported that SM, particularly Instagram and TikTok, had a negative influence on how they felt about their appearance. These girls had significantly higher levels of ED pathology and reported higher levels of appearance pressure from the media.

CONCLUSION

A clear pattern of associations between photo- and video specific SM platforms, ED pathology, internalization of body ideals and perceived pressure was found in this study. Adolescent girls appeared to be particularly at risk. The results illustrate an imperative need to keep addressing the potential risks of SM use in adolescents, and to continue monitoring the effect of SM on young people's view of themselves, their appearance, and their eating habits. Future studies should attempt to identify aspects of SM use that may be particularly detrimental for girls and boys in their formative years, but also those that may enhance adolescents' satisfaction and appreciation of their body and appearance.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The study is registered in the Open Science Framework (Identifier: 10.17605/OSF.IO/5RB6P https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/5RB6P ).

Digital social evaluation: Relationships between receiving likes, comments, and follows on social media and adolescents' body image concerns

A defining feature of social media is its social interactivity, but limited research has investigated how various aspects of digital social evaluation (i.e., likes, follows, comments) may be related with users' body image concerns. This study investigated the relationships between aspects of digital social evaluation and body image concerns in adolescents. Australian adolescents (N = 245, 58.4 % male, Mage = 13.79, SD = 1.11) completed online surveys measuring digital social evaluation frequency (likes, follows, positive and negative comments about appearance and non-appearance), perceived importance (likes, number of followers), body dissatisfaction, restrictive eating attitudes, and drive for muscularity. Adolescents reported frequently receiving digital social evaluation, with females receiving more positive, but not negative, comments than males. All aspects of digital social evaluation were positively correlated with at least one aspect of body image concern. Controlling for other factors, all three aspects of body image were associated with receiving more frequent positive appearance-based comments, greater restrictive eating attitudes and body dissatisfaction were also associated with greater importance of likes, whilst greater drive for muscularity was associated with less frequent likes and comments. Digital social evaluation should be considered in future longitudinal or experimental research, and media literacy interventions.

Estimated prevalence of DSM-5 eating disorders in Norwegian adolescents: A community based two-phase study

OBJECTIVE

Little is known about the prevalence of DSM-5 eating disorders (EDs) in adolescents. In Norway, the most recent community-based prevalence study in adolescents was published more than 20 years ago. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of DSM-5 EDs in Norwegian adolescents using a two-phase design.

METHOD

A total of 1558 upper secondary school students (827 girls and 730 boys) (ages 16-19) were screened for at-risk ED pathology using the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire short version (EDE-QS). A sub-sample of 99 adolescents (87 girls and 12 boys) subsequently participated in a clinical interview using the Eating Disorder Assessment for DSM-5 (EDA-5).

RESULTS

Eating pathology was common, with 19.9% of participants scoring at or above the applied EDE-QS cut-off. The estimated prevalence of any ED was 9.4% in the total sample, and 16.4% in girls. The number of boys who took part in the diagnostic interview was low, thus, diagnostic data from boys were not analyzed separately. Prevalence estimates of AN, BN, BED, and OSFED in girls were 2.7%, 1.1%, 1.9%, and 10.7%. Atypical AN was the most frequently assigned diagnosis in girls.

DISCUSSION

Sampling biases limit generalizability of results. Additional population-based studies are warranted to assess the prevalence of EDs in Norwegian youth.

PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

In this study, 1558 adolescents, aged 16-19, were screened for ED pathology. A subsample completed a diagnostic interview using DSM-5 criteria. Results showed that one in five adolescents displayed problematic eating behaviors and cognitions. The estimated prevalence rate of any ED was 9.4%. Sampling biases limit generalizability of results. Additional population-based studies are warranted to assess the prevalence of EDs in Norwegian youth.

[Social networks use and risk factors for the development of eating disorders: A systematic review]

OBJECTIVE

Review the available scientific literature on the relationship between the use of social networks and risk factors for the development of eating disorders, such as low self-esteem, body dissatisfaction and/or idealization of thinness, in the Spanish population.

DESIGN

A systematic review of scientific literature published between 2010 and 2022 was carried out.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science.

SELECTION OF STUDIES

Only original articles were included, published in Spanish or English, that measured at least one variable of use of social networks and at least one risk factor for eating disorders in the Spanish population.

DATA EXTRACTION

The PRISMA 2009 statement was used as a guide. The quality of selected articles was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist.

RESULTS

Twelve cross-sectional studies that met the inclusion criteria were identified. Evidence suggests that the use and frequency of use of social networks is significantly associated with body dissatisfaction (p≤0,01), drive for thinness (p≤0,001), and low self-esteem (p≤0,05) in adolescents and young adults in the Spanish population.

CONCLUSIONS

Users of social networks, mainly those based on images, are exposed to factors that could increase their risk of developing an eating disorder.

Association between dating app use and unhealthy weight control behaviors and muscle enhancing behaviors in sexual minority men: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Body image concerns are prevalent and are viewed as risk factors for engaging in unhealthy weight control behaviors (UWCBs), such as purging, fasting, and the misuse of laxatives and diet pills. Studies have also linked UWCBs to the development of eating disorders. In the United States (U.S.), sexual minority men (e.g., bisexual, gay, and men who have sex with men) are prone to UWCBs often as a result of societal pressures to achieve certain standards of appearance - of which are often perpetuated through various media platforms. A growing number of studies have explored the possible role mobile dating applications ("dating apps") play in contributing to UWCBs. To our knowledge, such studies have not explored this possible relationship between dating apps and UWCBs in sexual minority men (SMM). To fill this gap in the scientific literature, the present study assessed the association between dating app use and UWCBs and muscle enhancing behaviors among a sample of adult SMM in the U.S.

METHOD

549 SMM participated in an anonymous survey from Qualtrics Survey Panels. UWCBs and muscle enhancing behaviors were assessed through items adapted from national surveys. Body image dissatisfaction was assessed using the Male Body Attitudes Scales. Participants also reported their history of dating app use. We performed descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and student's t-tests. Multivariable logistic regression models assessed the relationship between dating app use and UWCBs and muscle enhancing behaviors.

RESULTS

Dating app users had significantly higher body image dissatisfaction scores than non-users. Dating app users also demonstrated significantly elevated odds of engaging in four UWCBs and muscle enhancing behaviors: laxatives, diet pills, muscle-building supplements, and protein powders.

CONCLUSIONS

This is one of the first studies to assess dating app use and its association with UWCBs and muscle enhancing behaviors in SMM. Increased surveillance and detection for such behaviors among SMM, particularly those using dating apps, are needed.

Social media and dating app use are differentially related to same- and next-day disordered eating pathology in young men with loss of control eating

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether social networking site (SNS) and dating app use is associated with disordered eating in young men.

METHODS

42 men (18-35y) who reported ≥4 loss of control (LOC) eating episodes in the prior month completed a 14-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol. Five times throughout the day, participants responded to prompts regarding their dietary restraint, body dissatisfaction, and LOC eating. Each night at ~10 pm, participants reported their total time spent on SNSs and dating apps/websites within the last day.

RESULTS

39 out of 42 cisgender men (M_age = 25.1 ± 5.3 years; 47 % non-Hispanic White, 29 % Black or African American; 63 % non-students; 87 % heterosexual) reported using SNSs and/or dating apps. Neither SNS nor dating app use was associated with body dissatisfaction. Dating app use with associated with higher same- (r² equivalent = 0.022, p = .003) and next-day dietary restraint (r² equivalent = 0.016, p = .02); SNS use was not. More SNS use was associated with lower odds of same- (OR [95 % CI] = 0.86 [0.75, 0.99], p = .044) and next-day LOC eating (OR [95 % CI] = 0.82 [0.71, 0.96], p = .011); links with dating app use were non-significant.

DISCUSSION

Non-significant links for SNS and dating app use with body dissatisfaction, and inverse associations with LOC eating, are contrary to research conducted with girls and women. Research is needed to evaluate whether the quality of SNS and dating app engagement (e.g., specific sites) are more closely related to men's disordered eating, and this work should consider muscularity concerns.

Normative body image development: A longitudinal meta-analysis of mean-level change

This meta-analysis synthesized longitudinal data on mean-level change in body image, focusing on the constructs of body satisfaction and dissatisfaction, body esteem, perceived attractiveness, valuation, self-objectification, and body shame. We searched five databases and accessed unpublished data to identify studies that assessed body image at two or more time points over six months or longer. Analyses were based on data from 142 samples representing a total of 128,254 participants. The age associated with the midpoint of measurement intervals ranged from 6 to 54 years. Multilevel metaregression models examined standardized yearly mean change, and the potential moderators of body image construct, gender, birth cohort, attrition rate, age, and time lag. Boys and men showed fluctuations in overall body image with net-improvements between ages 10 and 24. Girls and women showed worsening body image between ages 10 and 16, but improvements between ages 16 and 24. Change was greatest between ages 10 and 14, and stabilized around age 24. We found no effect of construct, birth cohort, or attrition rate. Results suggest a need to revise understandings of normative body image development: sensitive periods may occur somewhat earlier than previously believed, and body image may show mean-level improvements during certain age ranges.

Quality of life in multiple scenarios: The impact of work mode and social contact quantity

Introduction

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many employees were encouraged to temporarily work from home as an attempt to decrease social contact with others. However, the employees' quality of life (QoL) may have been threatened by this mode of working. This study, therefore, aims to explore the employees' QoL given the new mode of working from home (WFH) as a result of the pandemic vs. working in the office (WIO), the amount of social contact that they were exposed to, and the ratio of face-to-face contact that they had.

Methods

A total of 803 WFH employees and 588 WIO employees' QoL was assessed during the same time period using the WHOQOL-BREF, which contains four domains: physical health, psychological health, social relationship, and the environment. We then divided the participants into 16 groups in accordance with the levels of work mode, social contact quantity, and face-to-face contact ratio-forming a case-control study. A differential item functioning (DIF) analysis was used to analyze the responses on the WHOQOL-BREF under the 4-dimensional rating scale model fitting.

Results

The results indicated that WFH employees' QoL was superior to that of WIO employees. The relationship between the WFH mode and the employees' QoL was specifically moderated by the amount of social contact and the ratio of face-to-face contact that was experienced. The results further demonstrated that the increased amount of non-face-to-face contact was better for WFH employees' QoL than that of WIO employees.

Discussion

In conclusion, the WFH mode was practical during the COVID-19 pandemic, as our findings indicated that WFH employees' QoL was better than WIO employees' QoL. However, maintaining social connections is equally important as this allows employees to perform better at their jobs and maintain such performance. The employees with a higher number of social support had a better QoL. Additionally, the facets detected as DIF items provided implications for the QoL with regard to the research methodology and insight into factors affecting the employees' QoL.

Secular trends in body image dissatisfaction and associated factors among adolescents (2007-2017/2018)

OBJECTIVE

To assess secular trends in body image dissatisfaction and associated factors among adolescents over a 10-year period (2007-2017/2018).

METHODS

The sample included 1,479 (2007, n = 531; 2017/2018, n = 948) high school adolescents of both sexes, aged 14 to 18 years, of schools in a city in southern Brazil, in 2007 and 2017/2018. Data were collected on sex, age, physical activity (IPAQ, short form), anthropometric measurements (body weight, height, and triceps and subscapular skinfolds), and body image dissatisfaction (figure rating scale). The variables were compared with Independent samples t-test and Mann-Whitney U-test. The associations between sex and other variables were examined with chi-square test, and the factors associated with body image were identified with multinomial logistic regression.

RESULTS

Most adolescents were dissatisfied with their body image in 2007 (65,2%) and 2017/2018 (71,1%). The prevalence of body dissatisfaction increased by 9.2% over the 10-year period, particularly dissatisfaction with thinness (21.3%). After stratification by sex, in 2017/2018 sample, dissatisfaction with overweight was 46.1% greater in boys, and dissatisfaction with thinness was 66.9% greater in girls. Factors found to be significantly associated with body image dissatisfaction were physical activity level, and body adiposity.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a secular trend toward increased body image dissatisfaction in both sexes. Future efforts should go beyond scientific production, in public and private environments aimed at increasing awareness of health issues related to body care in the physical, psychological, and environmental domains.

Body image self-conscious emotions get worse throughout adolescence and relate to physical activity behavior in girls and boys

Body image is a commonly-reported factor perpetuating declines in physical activity levels during adolescence. However, the evidence is predominantly qualitative, cross-sectional, and focused on girls. Furthermore, the affective dimension of body image has been overlooked compared to the perceptual (e.g., misrepresentations of body size) and cognitive (e.g., dissatisfaction) dimensions. Affective body image includes a range of self-conscious emotions including guilt, shame, envy, embarrassment, and authentic and hubristic pride. This study examined (i) body-related self-conscious emotions over time, and (ii) associations between body-related emotions and physical activity over five years during early-to-mid adolescence. Potential gender differences were also explored. Self-report data for this study were collected once a year over 5 years as part of the MATCH study. The main analyses involved mixed-effects modeling. Participants (n = 776, 55.8% girls) initially aged 12.6 (SD = 0.6) years who provided data on at least one occasion were included in the analysis. Girls reported higher body-related guilt, shame, envy, and embarrassment than boys, and boys reported higher hubristic pride than girls. Over five years from early to mid-adolescence, body-related shame, guilt, envy, and embarrassment significantly increased for boys and girls, authentic pride did not change, and hubristic pride increased for girls only. Controlling for gender and puberty status, body-related guilt, shame, and embarrassment were negatively, and body-related authentic and hubristic pride were positively, associated with physical activity over time. Body-related envy was not significantly related to physical activity. These findings suggest that adolescents express greater negative body-related self-conscious emotions over time. Since these were negatively related to physical activity, interventions focused on reducing negative body-related emotions and enhancing positive body-related emotions may be valuable in adolescence to help curb declining physical activity.

Exploring the possibility of parents' broad internalizing phenotype acting through passive gene-environment correlations on daughters' disordered eating

Twin studies demonstrate significant environmental influences and a lack of genetic effects on disordered eating before puberty in girls. However, genetic factors could act indirectly through passive gene-environment correlations (rGE; correlations between parents' genes and an environment shaped by those genes) that inflate environmental (but not genetic) estimates. The only study to explore passive rGE did not find significant effects, but the full range of parental phenotypes (e.g., internalizing symptoms) that could impact daughters' disordered eating was not examined. We addressed this gap by exploring whether parents' internalizing symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depressive symptoms) contribute to daughters' eating pathology through passive rGE. Participants were female twin pairs (aged 8-14 years; M = 10.44) in pre-early puberty and their biological parents (n = 279 families) from the Michigan State University Twin Registry. Nuclear twin family models explored passive rGE for parents' internalizing traits/symptoms and twins' overall eating disorder symptoms. No evidence for passive rGE was found. Instead, environmental factors that create similarities between co-twins (but not with their parents) and unique environmental factors were important. In pre-early puberty, genetic factors do not influence daughters' disordered eating, even indirectly through passive rGE. Future research should explore sibling-specific and unique environmental factors during this critical developmental period.

Gender Differences for Health Indicators in a Sample of School Dropout Adolescents: A Pilot Study

Background: The ever-increasing prevalence of school dropout (SD) highlights the need to gain insight into risk factors for dropout causes and consequences. The aim of this study was to evaluate the gender differences for health indicators in a sample of school dropout adolescents. Methods: Data were collected regarding 450 adolescent’s SD (19 ± 2 years; 308 males), and health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) and risk behaviors were assessed by means of a standardized questionnaire. Results: The results revealed that the female population was characterized by a compromised health indicator profile in terms of both risk behaviors and HRQoL dimensions. Conclusion: These findings indicate that SD is a multidimensional phenomenon, for which the implementation of multiple educational, social, and psychological policies aimed at mitigating the issue are recommended.

How Do Adolescents Use Social Networks and What Are Their Potential Dangers? A Qualitative Study of Gender Differences

The rapid development of software applications and the increasing use of the Internet have raised many questions about the impact of this technology on the lives of adolescents, especially on “digital natives.” The advent of social networks (SNs) restructures their relationships in various ways, affecting both adolescents’ development and mental health. The present study aims to investigate uses and dangers of SNs according to a sample of 296 (166 female and 130 male) Italian middle and high schools adolescents (age range 13–18) and build a model of how SNs can turn out to be dangerous. To achieve this, twenty-four audio-recorded focus groups of Italian male and female adolescents were investigated by a Grounded Theory approach, abstracting from the transcripts the main uses and dangers of SNs and proposing a final model for the interpretation of the whole set of categories. The results highlighted two main dangers of SNs: (a) the desperate search for popularity, and (b) the exhibition of violent or offensive behavior facilitated by the sense of protection and anonymity derived from being hidden behind a virtual account. Finally, a psychological model of how SNs can turn out to be dangerous is presented. This study could be useful in developing prevention procedures against the risks of SNs (e.g., cyberbullying, internet addiction) without demonizing the use of social media as such.

Sexual attraction to men as a risk factor for eating disorders: the role of mating expectancies and drive for thinness

BACKGROUND

Men tend to give more importance than women to physical aspects when selecting a partner; thus, the internalization of beauty standards and the ideal of thinness may be greater in populations attracted to men, placing them at a higher risk of eating disorders.

METHODS

In a sample (n = 398) of heterosexual and gay men and women, we evaluated the drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, and bulimic symptomatology. Using ANCOVAs, we analyzed the differences in symptoms score according to sex, sexual orientation and relational status including body mass index (BMI) as covariate; we also evaluated the mediating role of drive for thinness in the relationship between sexual orientation and body dissatisfaction.

RESULTS

We found an increased drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction in men-attracted compared with women-attracted participants; also, body dissatisfaction was greater in women than in men. Heterosexual women presented higher bulimia scores than lesbian women. Gay men open to relationships presented higher drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction scores than those not-open to relationships. Finally, differences in body dissatisfaction between gay and heterosexual men were fully explained by drive for thinness, while, in the case of women, drive for thinness only partially explained these differences.

CONCLUSIONS

Attraction to men seems to be a risk factor for EDs in the case of gay men and heterosexual women. In addition, in the case of heterosexual women, other factors independent of the desire to attract men seem to be important.

Improving Body Satisfaction Through Fitness App Use: Explicating the Role of Social Comparison, Social Network Size, and Gender

Body dissatisfaction is prevalent worldwide, fueling the highly lucrative diet and plastic surgery industry, with many adverse outcomes. Yet, limited attention has been dedicated to noninvasive interventions that effectively enhance body satisfaction. We argue that, by altering the target of the social comparison process, people can shift their focus from body appearance to physical activity level. The present study investigated whether social comparison in terms of physical activity level provided by fitness apps could affect users' body satisfaction. A survey was conducted with 643 users of WeRun, the Chinese leading mobile fitness app. Subsequent analyses revealed that both upward and downward social comparison mediated the positive relationship between fitness app use and body satisfaction. Moreover, the users' social network size and gender played a moderating role in the social comparison processes. Fitness app use was positively related to downward comparison for male users; social network size moderated the relationship between fitness app use and upward comparison for female users. The utility of fitness apps in mitigating body dissatisfaction is also discussed.

Critical measurement issues in the assessment of social media influence on body image

Progress towards understanding how social media impacts body image hinges on the use of appropriate measurement tools and methodologies. This review provides an overview of common (qualitative, self-report survey, lab-based experiments) and emerging (momentary assessment, computational) methodological approaches to the exploration of the impact of social media on body image. The potential of these methodologies is detailed, with examples illustrating current use as well as opportunities for expansion. A key theme from our review is that each methodology has provided insights for the body image research field, yet is insufficient in isolation to fully capture the nuance and complexity of social media experiences. Thus, in consideration of gaps in methodology, we emphasise the need for big picture thinking that leverages and combines the strengths of each of these methodologies to yield a more comprehensive, nuanced, and robust picture of the positive and negative impacts of social media.

A prospective examination of relationships between social media use and body dissatisfaction in a representative sample of adults

This study examined the temporal sequence of the relationship between social media use and body dissatisfaction in adults. A representative sample of adults (19-92 years old; M = 52.83, SD = 13.43; 62.02% women, 37.98% men) completed measures of social media use, body dissatisfaction, age, gender, BMI, and demographic variables in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 (N = 6258) in the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study. In the full sample, higher social media use was significantly associated with higher body dissatisfaction one year later, as was higher body dissatisfaction with higher social media use one year later after controlling for body dissatisfaction/social media use (T-1), gender, age, BMI, ethnicity, relationships status, and SES. Effects were small. The prospective pathway from social media use to body dissatisfaction was significant in all age groups but the reverse relationship was only significant in the middle aged and older groups. Both pathway directions were significant in women but only the pathway from body dissatisfaction to social media use was significant in men. The research has limitations and replication is required. However, findings suggest raising awareness about how to use social media positively across the broad community, not merely in adolescents, may be worthwhile.

Predictors of Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery: Instagram Images-Based Activities, Appearance Comparison and Body Dissatisfaction Among Women

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to test a model in which Instagram images-based activities related to self, friends, and celebrities were associated with acceptance of cosmetic surgery via Instagram appearance comparison and body dissatisfaction. We predicted that Instagram use for images-related activities involving celebrities and self (but not friends) was associated with acceptance of cosmetic surgery both directly and indirectly.

METHODS

The study participants were 305 Italian women (mean age, 23 years). They completed a questionnaire containing the Instagram Image Activity Scale, the Instagram Appearance Comparison Scale, the Body Shape Questionnaire-14, the Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery Scale. A path analysis was performed in which the Instagram images-based activities were posited as predictors of the Instagram appearance comparison, body dissatisfaction and acceptance of cosmetic surgery, respectively.

RESULTS

We found that only image-based activities related to celebrities and self were significantly related to acceptance of cosmetic surgery, whereas friends' Instagram-related activities were not significantly related to this criterion variable. Moreover, the indirect effect of both Instagram self- and celebrities-images activities on acceptance of cosmetic surgery through Instagram appearance comparison and body dissatisfaction was significant. Friends' Instagram images-related activities were not associated with acceptance of cosmetic surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, these findings provide information about the role that activities carried out on Instagram, appearance comparison and body dissatisfaction, play on the acceptance of surgery for aesthetic reasons among women. The study highlighted the importance for surgeons to consider some psychological aspects and the influence of sociocultural factors on the interest for cosmetic surgery.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

The Associations Between the Anorexic Readiness Syndrome, Familism, and Body Image Among Physically Active Girls

Introduction: Anorexic Readiness Syndrome (ARS) is a construct of prophylactic importance, useful in the selection of people showing a tendency to use restrictive diets and increased concentration on the body. The aim of the research was to verify the significance of the type of physical activity, body perception and familism for the development of ARS. Material and Method: The research was carried out in the first half of 2021on a sample of 163 girls. It consisted of: (1) physically inactive girls (n = 48), (2) physically active girls in disciplines other than aesthetic (n = 69), (3) girls engaged in aesthetic physical activity (n = 46). The study used: Anorexic Readiness Syndrome Questionnaire (ARS-12), Familism Scale (FS) and Body Image Avoidance Questionnaire (BIAQ). Results: The highest average ARS score was recorded in the group of girls engaged in aesthetic activity. A significant difference in the severity of ARS occurs between people who do not engage in activity and those who practice aesthetic activity. The severity of ARS rises as the difference between real and ideal body weight increases. People active in aesthetic disciplines who obtained a high score on the Respect scale (FS subscale) have a lower ARS score than those physically active in other disciplines who obtained low scores on the Respect scale. The higher the score on the Material success and achievement scale (FS), the greater the ARS intensity in all subgroups. What is much more important in shaping ARS is the perception of your body. The focus on eating and body weight and Clothing and appearance (BIAQ subscales) are relevant to the ARS and moderate the relationship between Material success (FS subscale) and anorexic readiness. Conclusions: People engaging in aesthetic physical activity are more likely to suffer from ARS. The family can certainly prevent a child from developing anorexic readiness by shaping a sense of community and family identity, a clear division of roles, limiting the importance of materialism and competition in raising children. The prevention of ARS and eating disorders should also focus on strengthening the realistic assessment of body parameters and their acceptance, as well as promoting strategies for healthy weight control.

Social media, body image, and the question of causation: Meta-analyses of experimental and longitudinal evidence

This article presents four meta-analyses that can inform causality in the relationship between social media and body image; 24 experimental samples comparing the effect of appearance-ideal social media images to non-appearance-related conditions (n = 3816); 21 experimental samples examining the effect of contextual features (e.g., comments and captions) accompanying appearance-ideal social media images (n = 3482); 14 experimental samples investigating the effect of appearance-ideal images versus other appearance images on social media (n = 2641); and 10 longitudinal samples on social media use and body image (n = 5177). Social media appearance-ideal images had a moderate negative effect on body image (Hedges' g = -0.61, p < .01), were more damaging in higher- than lower-risk contexts (Hedges' g = -0.12, p < .01), and were moderately more impactful than other social media appearance images (Hedges' g = -0.68, p = .05). These effects were smaller but significant with outliers removed. Social media use had a very small, negative correlation with body image longitudinally (Fisher's Z = -0.08, p < .001). No significant moderators emerged. Clinicians should consider approaches to managing social media use, particularly exposure to appearance-ideal imagery, in case conceptualisation and psychoeducation for clients at risk of, or experiencing, body image disturbance.

[Investigating the relationship between social media use and body image among adolescents: A systematic review]

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to update the scientific knowledge concerning the relationship between the use of social networking sites and body image among adolescents.

METHODS

A preregistered systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines and allowed to include 30 peer-reviewed articles for qualitative analysis, consisting of 26 unique samples (n=31,331; M_age=14.89; SD_age=1.07). The search was conducted on Pubmed, PsychInfo and Scopus focusing on studies that included any social network site use and body image measures while being based on general population adolescent samples. Social networking site use referred: 1) to any online activities such as browsing, posting, editing selfies, liking, commenting; 2) to any exposure to appearance-related content; or 3) to a measure of frequency use. The scope of social networking sites considered in the present review was extended to online video-sharing platforms and online dating applications due to their relationship with appearance. Body image as considered through MeSH terms referred to a wide range of possible outcomes including body and facial dissatisfaction, dysmorphophobia, body surveillance, self-objectification, body shame, weight concerns, self-monitoring. Any mental health outcome was extracted when available although its absence was not an exclusion criterion..

RESULTS

Among the 30 studies included in the review, 22 were cross-sectional, seven were longitudinal and one had an experimental design. Overall, among studies based on unique samples, 18 studies included both males and females (n=28,081; M_age 14.84; SD_age=1.06), seven were based exclusively on female samples (n=2,507; M_age 14.87; SD_age=1.19), while one study recruited only male adolescents (n=743; M_age 15.90; SD_age=0.54). Only six studies were based on representative samples. These studies reported a robust association between frequency of social networking site use and negative body image among both females and males. In addition, exposure to appearance-related content was also deleterious to body image. The association between the use of social media and negative body image may involve negative mental health outcomes, such as depressive symptoms, low body esteem and problematic use of social media. Measuring specific activities on social network sites or exposure to appearance-related content (e.g. selfies editing; selfies posting) may be more accurate than using a frequency of overall use (e.g. during the past month) when predicting body image. Studies addressing underlying processes supported that the relationship between use of social media and body image may not be direct but rather involve intermediary steps on both cognitive and social levels, namely internalization of the thin ideal, self-objectification, peer appearance-related feedback, ascendant social comparison with peers and celebrities. Also, it remains unclear whether mental health mediates this relationship.

CONCLUSIONS

The association between the use of social networking sites and negative body image is robustly supported in the literature. However, studies measuring frequency of overall use may instead be predicting negative body image with a nested measure of the use of social network sites, namely specific activities involving appearance-related content. Due to the observed discrepancies between self-reported frequency of social networking site use and actual use in methodological literature, future research may rather measure behaviors commonly encountered on a given platform. Furthermore, there is a need to distinguish specific site categories such as highly visual social media when focusing on body image outcomes. . Focusing on specific social media platforms may in turn lead to more targeted prevention regarding a safe utilization of social networking sites among adolescents. Despite the growing body of research concerning the association between social media and body image, the current review underlines that additional longitudinal and experimental studies are needed to investigate potential bidirectional effects, as well as studies based on representative samples to improve generalization to adolescent populations.

The Ideal Body: A Social Construct? Reflections on Body Pressure and Body Ideal Among Students in Upper Secondary School

Several studies show that young people today are negatively impacted by body image ideals in social media. We studies young people's reflections on body image and body pressure. More precisely: How does a selected group of third-year upper secondary school students understand their body images and body pressures through social media? Eight third-year students, four of each gender, were interviewed from two upper secondary schools in a medium-sized city in Norway. An interesting find was that body pressure was not experienced solely as one-sided pressure exerted externally by media sources, but that they also personally influenced others through their own active use of social media channels like Facebook and Instagram. They reported having experienced body pressure in their own lives and in their immediate environment, and that both genders are affected. The study builds on sociocultural body theory based on Foucault's ideas and work, but also uses more recent media theory for the analysis and discussion. A BOPS model developed by the researchers was used for the operational parameters that is centered around the concepts of panopticon, synopticon and omniopticon.

Digital Hazards for Feeding and Eating: What We Know and What We Don't

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

We aimed to accrue recent evidence exploring effects of modern online activities (e.g., Internet use) on feeding and eating disorder symptoms, and related traits. We examined available evidence to ascertain any direct influences from online activities on feeding and eating disorders, thereby shedding light on putative mechanisms by which those influences may occur.

RECENT FINDINGS

Many facets of problematic usage of the Internet correlate cross sectionally with eating disorder and related psychopathology. There is evidence to suggest that significant effects do exist in the direction of specific Internet activities contributing to eating disorder symptoms, viewed dimensionally. Putative mechanisms are discussed. However, a significant number of eating disorder phenotypes and Internet-related activities remain under-researched. Specific facets of engagement with the online environment appear to confer risk for feeding and eating problems, evidence being strongest for non-clinical studies using dimensional measures. More research is required to rigorously confirm causal effects, including in patients meeting formal diagnostic criteria for eating disorders. We also highlight the need for high-quality evidence to explore how eating disorder phenotypes are commonly as well as uniquely affected by different online activities. Such research is needed in order that scientific understanding in this area can be translated to protect those most at risk of disordered eating, including through changes in public health approaches and clinical practice.

Problematic usage of the internet and eating disorder and related psychopathology: A multifaceted, systematic review and meta-analysis

Eating disorders are widespread illnesses with significant impact. There is growing concern about how those at risk of eating disorders overuse online resources to their detriment. We conducted a pre-registered systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining Problematic Usage of the Internet (PUI) and eating disorder and related psychopathology. The meta-analysis comprised n = 32,295 participants, in which PUI was correlated with significant eating disorder general psychopathology Pearson r = 0.22 (s.e. = 0.04, p < 0.001), body dissatisfaction r = 0.16 (s.e. = 0.02, p < 0.001), drive-for-thinness r = 0.16 (s.e. = 0.04, p < 0.001) and dietary restraint r = 0.18 (s.e. = 0.03). Effects were not moderated by gender, PUI facet or study quality. Results are in support of PUI impacting on eating disorder symptoms; males may be equally vulnerable to these potential effects. Prospective and experimental studies in the field suggest that small but significant effects exist and may have accumulative influence over time and across all age groups. Those findings are important to expand our understanding of PUI as a multifaceted concept and its impact on multiple levels of ascertainment of eating disorder and related psychopathology.

Social media, body satisfaction and well-being among adolescents: A mediation model of appearance-ideal internalization and comparison

Despite adolescents' prolific use of social media, relationships between social media and body satisfaction and well-being are not yet well understood, especially among boys. This study tested a sociocultural model of body image within the context of social media among adolescent boys and girls. Specifically, this study examined whether appearance-ideal internalization and social appearance comparisons mediated relationships between social media engagement (intensity and appearance-focused use) and body satisfaction and subjective well-being. Australian adolescents between 11 and 17 years (N = 1,579, M_age = 13.45 years, SD = 1.15; 55.4 % boys) completed an online survey. Structural equational modelling indicated that only higher appearance-focused social media use was directly associated with lower body satisfaction and well-being. Generally, higher appearance-ideal internalization and comparisons mediated the relationships between higher social media engagement and lower body satisfaction and well-being. Multi-group analyses indicated these relationships were equivalent across gender. Findings supported the proposed model among boys and girls and extend existing theoretical knowledge to encompass male body image and well-being. Interventions which target internalization and comparisons in the context of social media are likely to be valuable in improving body satisfaction and subjective well-being in co-educational settings.

Not all screen time is created equal: associations with mental health vary by activity and gender

PURPOSE

Previous research on associations between screen media use and mental health produced mixed findings, possibly because studies have not examined screen activities separately or accounted for gender differences. We sought to examine associations between different types of screen activities (social media, internet, gaming, and TV) and mental health indicators separately for boys and girls.

METHODS

We drew from a nationally representative sample of 13-15-year-old adolescents in the UK (n = 11,427) asking about hours per day spent on specific screen media activities and four mental health indicators: self-harm behavior, depressive symptoms, life satisfaction, and self-esteem.

RESULTS

Hours spent on social media and Internet use were more strongly associated with self-harm behaviors, depressive symptoms, low life satisfaction, and low self-esteem than hours spent on electronic gaming and TV watching. Girls generally demonstrated stronger associations between screen media time and mental health indicators than boys (e.g., heavy Internet users were 166% more likely to have clinically relevant levels of depressive symptoms than low users among girls, compared to 75% more likely among boys).

CONCLUSION

Thus, not all screen time is created equal; social media and Internet use among adolescent girls are the most strongly associated with compromised mental health. Future research should examine different screen media activities and boys and girls separately where possible. Practitioners should be aware that some types of screen time are more likely to be linked to mental health issues than others.

Eating disorders with over-exercise: A cross-sectional analysis of the mediational role of problematic usage of the internet in young people

Eating disorders are widespread illnesses with significant global impact. There is growing concern about how young people overuse online resources leading to mental health sequelae. We gathered data from 639 individuals from a population cohort. Participants were all young adults at the point of contact and were grouped as having probable eating disorder with excessive exercise (n = 37) or controls (n = 602). We measured obsessionality, compulsivity, impulsivity, and problematic internet use. Group differences in these domains were evaluated; and structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to assess structural relationships between variables. Cases had higher scores of obsessional thoughts of threat (Cohen's d = 0.94, p < 0.001), intolerance towards uncertainty (Cohen's d = 0.72; p < 0.001), thoughts of importance and control (Cohen's d = 0.65, p < 0.01), compulsivity (Cohen's d = 0.72; p < 0.001), negative urgency (Cohen's d = 0.75, p < 0.001), and higher problematic usage of the internet (Cohen's d = 0.73; p-corrected <0.001). Our SEM showed significant partial mediation of problematic internet use on both the effect of obsessionality latent factor on cases (z-value = 2.52, p < 0.05), as well as of sensation seeking latent factor on cases (z-value = 2.09, p < 0.05). Youth with eating disorder and heightened exercise levels have increased obsessive thoughts of threat, compulsivity traits and sensation seeking impulsivity. The association between obsessive thoughts and eating disorders, as well as sensation seeking and eating disorders were partially mediated by problematic internet use. Problematic internet use may be playing a role in the development or maintenance of eating disorder symptoms in the background of obsessional thoughts and sensation seeking impulsive traits.

Facing Loneliness and Anxiety During the COVID-19 Isolation: The Role of Excessive Social Media Use in a Sample of Italian Adults

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prompted people to face a distressing and unexpected situation. Uncertainty and social distancing changed people's behaviors, impacting on their feelings, daily habits, and social relationships, which are core elements in human well-being. In particular, restrictions due to the quarantine increased feelings of loneliness and anxiety. Within this context, the use of digital technologies has been recommended to relieve stress and anxiety and to decrease loneliness, even though the overall effects of social media consumption during pandemics still need to be carefully addressed. In this regard, social media use evidence risk and opportunities. In fact, according to a compensatory model of Internet-related activities, the online environment may be used to alleviate negative feelings caused by distressing life circumstances, despite potentially leading to negative outcomes. The present study examined whether individuals who were experiencing high levels of loneliness during the forced isolation for COVID-19 pandemic were more prone to feel anxious, and whether their sense of loneliness prompted excessive social media use. Moreover, the potentially mediating effect of excessive social media use in the relationship between perceived loneliness and anxiety was tested. A sample of 715 adults (71.5% women) aged between 18 and 72 years old took part in an online survey during the period of lockdown in Italy. The survey included self-report measures to assess perceived sense of loneliness, excessive use of social media, and anxiety. Participants reported that they spent more hours/day on social media during the pandemic than before the pandemic. We found evidence that perceived feelings of loneliness predicted both excessive social media use and anxiety, with excessive social media use also increasing anxiety levels. These findings suggest that isolation probably reinforced the individuals' sense of loneliness, strengthening the need to be part of virtual communities. However, the facilitated and prolonged access to social media during the COVID-19 pandemic risked to further increase anxiety, generating a vicious cycle that in some cases may require clinical attention.

Psychological Correlates of Sedentary Screen Time Behaviour Among Children and Adolescents: a Narrative Review

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The aims of this narrative review were to (1) synthesise the literature on the relationship between screen time and important mental health outcomes and (2) examine the underpinning factors that can influence this association.

RECENT FINDINGS

Paralleling the rise of mental health issues in children and adolescents is the ubiquitous overuse of screens, but it is unclear how screen time is related to important mental health outcomes and whether this association differs by gender, age and screen type.

METHODS

Medline/PubMed, PsychINFO and Google Scholar databases were searched on December 2019 for articles published mainly in the last 5 years. The search focused on two main concepts: (i) screen time and (ii) mental health outcomes including anxiety, depression, psychological and psychosocial well-being and body image concerns.

RESULTS

Sixty studies were included in the review. Higher levels of screen time were associated with more severe depressive symptoms. We found moderate evidence for an association between screen time and poor psychological well-being and body dissatisfaction especially among females. Relationships between screen time and anxiety were inconsistent and somewhat gender specific. Social media use was consistently associated with poorer mental health. Higher levels of screen time are generally associated with poorer mental health outcomes, but associations are influenced by screen type, gender and age. Practitioners, parents, policy makers and researchers should collectively identify and evaluate strategies to reduce screen time, or to use screens more adaptively, as a means of promoting better mental health among children and adolescents.

Social Media Use and Adolescent Well-Being: A Narrative Review of Longitudinal Studies

This article provides a narrative review of longitudinal studies investigating the impact of social media (SM) use on adolescent well-being from 2006 to 2019. A topic of popular concern, most research to date has been cross-sectional, limiting the inferences that can be drawn to correlational observations. Longitudinal studies add valuable input to extant scholarship, and they have begun to emerge in the literature. A systematic search of PsychINFO, Web of Science, and Assia conducted in January 2019 identified 14 papers meeting inclusion criteria. The article summarizes the evidence and highlights emerging trends. Most notably, research distinguishing type of SM use, as opposed to mere frequency of SM use, is producing more significant results, suggesting a need for study designs that are able to capture the complexities of SM engagement beyond time spent online. The review also sets out the limitations of the current studies, which include unvalidated, self-report exposure measures and a failure to consider conditional effects. Addressing these challenges will present avenues for future research.

Social Media Use and Mental Health and Well-Being Among Adolescents - A Scoping Review

Introduction: Social media has become an integrated part of daily life, with an estimated 3 billion social media users worldwide. Adolescents and young adults are the most active users of social media. Research on social media has grown rapidly, with the potential association of social media use and mental health and well-being becoming a polarized and much-studied subject. The current body of knowledge on this theme is complex and difficult-to-follow. The current paper presents a scoping review of the published literature in the research field of social media use and its association with mental health and well-being among adolescents. Methods and Analysis: First, relevant databases were searched for eligible studies with a vast range of relevant search terms for social media use and mental health and well-being over the past five years. Identified studies were screened thoroughly and included or excluded based on prior established criteria. Data from the included studies were extracted and summarized according to the previously published study protocol. Results: Among the 79 studies that met our inclusion criteria, the vast majority (94%) were quantitative, with a cross-sectional design (57%) being the most common study design. Several studies focused on different aspects of mental health, with depression (29%) being the most studied aspect. Almost half of the included studies focused on use of non-specified social network sites (43%). Of specified social media, Facebook (39%) was the most studied social network site. The most used approach to measuring social media use was frequency and duration (56%). Participants of both genders were included in most studies (92%) but seldom examined as an explanatory variable. 77% of the included studies had social media use as the independent variable. Conclusion: The findings from the current scoping review revealed that about 3/4 of the included studies focused on social media and some aspect of pathology. Focus on the potential association between social media use and positive outcomes seems to be rarer in the current literature. Amongst the included studies, few separated between different forms of (inter)actions on social media, which are likely to be differentially associated with mental health and well-being outcomes.

Becoming an object: A review of self-objectification in girls

Objectification theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) provides a framework for understanding how cultural pressure on women's appearance (i.e., sexual objectification) impacts their psychological and physical well-being. Although objectification theory proposes that objectification processes commence with the onset of puberty, much of the existing research on self-objectification has been conducted with adult women. Thus, less is known about how self-objectification operates with younger girls and adolescent girls. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive review of self-objectification research on girls under the age of 18 including the prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of self-objectification as well as protective factors (n = 66 studies). In addition, we discuss how development is relevant to objectification theory and self-objectification. Finally, we call for a program of research that addresses methodological and conceptual concerns in existing research, fills gaps in the research literature, and pays further attention to developmental processes in self-objectification. An especially notable pattern we identified is that self-objectification is strongly related to age, such that older girls experience higher levels of self-objectification compared to younger girls. The aim of this paper is to provoke deeper considerations of development and the inclusion of girls in future research on self-objectification.

Women's Pathological Narcissism and its Relationship with Social Appearance Anxiety: The Mediating Role of Body Shame

OBJECTIVE

Attention to personal appearance and observers' judgments are integral components of narcissism. However, empirical evidence focused on the association between grandiose/vulnerable traits of narcissism and social appearance anxieties is limited. Moreover, body shame represents a topic of debated interest in the field of narcissism and women's experience of self-consciousness. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the unexplored relationship between covert and overt facets of pathological narcissism and social appearance anxiety, analyzing the mediating role of objectified body shame.

METHOD

Pathological vulnerable and grandiose narcissism, social appearance anxiety and body shame were assessed in a convenience sample of 775 young women (M=24.1, SD=4.52).

RESULTS

Body shame fully mediated the association between pathological narcissism and social appearance anxiety, especially for vulnerable narcissists' women.

CONCLUSIONS

As expected, vulnerable narcissism had a positive association with social appearance anxieties, and body shame acted as a mediating risky factor. Moreover, as hypothesized and differently from recent findings, also overt narcissism was related to body shame and appearance anxieties. These findings suggest that feelings of shame are essential to deeper understand the narcissistic core features and outcomes. Research and clinical implications are discussed.

Objectified Body Consciousness, Body Image Control in Photos, and Problematic Social Networking: The Role of Appearance Control Beliefs

At present, adolescents' photo-taking and photo-sharing on social media represent ubiquitous practices and objectified body consciousness (OBC) might offer a useful framework to explore online self-presentation and social networking site (SNS) use. Indeed, SNS might represent a highly accessible medium for socializing with self-objectification. However, the relationship between OBC components and problematic SNS use is still understudied. The present study evaluated the previously unexplored predictive role of appearance control beliefs on problematic SNS use, testing the mediating effect of body image control in photos (BICP) across male and female groups. A total of 693 adolescents (55% females; mean age 16 years) participated in the study. Results showed the negatively predictive role of appearance control beliefs on control over body image in photos. Moreover, BICP mediated the appearance control beliefs' negative effect on problematic SNS use in girls. The present study tested the unexplored effect of appearance control beliefs upon problematic SNS use, contributing to the OBC research field and the ongoing debate concerning predictive and protective factors in problematic SNS use.

Gender differences in associations between digital media use and psychological well-being: Evidence from three large datasets

INTRODUCTION

Adolescents spend an increasing amount of time using digital media, but gender differences in their use and in associations with psychological well-being are unclear.

METHOD

We drew from three large, representative surveys of 13- to 18-year-old adolescents in the U.S. and UK (total N = 221,096) examining digital media use in hours per day and several measures of psychological well-being separately in each of the three datasets.

RESULTS

Adolescent girls spent more time on smartphones, social media, texting, general computer use, and online, and boys spent more time gaming and on electronic devices in general. Associations between moderate or heavy digital media use and low psychological well-being/mental health issues were generally larger for girls than for boys. Light users of digital media were slightly higher in well-being than non-users, with larger differences among boys. Among both genders, heavy users of digital media were often twice as likely as low users to be low in well-being or have mental health issues, including risk factors for suicide.

CONCLUSIONS

Associations between heavy digital media use and low psychological well-being are larger for adolescent girls than boys.

Repercussions of Social Networks on Their Users’ Body Image: Integrative Review

Abstract This integrative review of literature followed the PICO strategy to investigate the repercussions of the use of social networks on the body image of their users. PubMed, LILACS, PsycINFO and SciELO databases were included as well as articles published between January 2006 and February 2019. Thirty-three articles were analyzed, which compose the corpus of this review. The studies revealed that social networks have a predominantly negative repercussion on the body self-image of their users, increasing levels of body dissatisfaction, also having a negative impact on mood and self-esteem. Added to this, social networks influenced the body type that users would like to have, translated by the lean body profile, considered a model of beauty.

Selfie-viewing and facial dissatisfaction among Chinese adolescents: A moderated mediation model of general attractiveness internalization and body appreciation

The present study examined whether selfie-viewing (i.e., viewing other people's selfie posts and related likes/comments) on social networking sites (SNSs) was positively associated with adolescents' facial dissatisfaction and whether this association was mediated by general attractiveness internalization. We also tested whether the indirect link between selfie-viewing and facial dissatisfaction by general attractiveness internalization would be moderated by body appreciation. Furthermore, potential gender differences were explored. The model was tested with 1496 Chinese adolescent boys and girls who completed questionnaires regarding selfie-viewing, general attractiveness internalization, body appreciation, and facial dissatisfaction. Results indicated that selfie-viewing was positively related to facial dissatisfaction and this relationship was mediated by general attractiveness internalization. Furthermore, body appreciation moderated the indirect relation between selfie-viewing and facial dissatisfaction via general attractiveness internalization. Gender did not moderate the mediation model. Findings from the current study provide new insights into the relation between SNS use and body image and highlight the potential value of promoting body appreciation in the prevention of body image concerns.

Women's Use of Social Media: What Is the Evidence About Their Impact on Weight Management and Body Image?

PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW

This review aims to summarize recent research on the effects of social media-delivered weight management interventions on weight loss and the impact of social media use on body image concerns in women and adolescent girls.

RECENT FINDINGS

Evidence supports the feasibility, but not the efficacy, of studies using single-component social media-delivered weight management interventions (i.e., including no other modes of intervention delivery) in women. Studies conducted in adolescent girls and women suggest that the impact of social media on body image outcomes is mostly detrimental, but is dependent on the context (e.g., exposure to idealized social media appearance images), peers' feedback, and constructs, such as appearance comparison tendency. More research is needed to conclude on the efficacy of social media-delivered interventions on both weight and body image outcomes and to understand how and when exposure to social media could promote effective weight management and also advocate positive body image in women.

Consumption of Health-Related Content on Social Media Among Adolescent Girls: Mixed-Methods Pilot Study

Background

Consumption of health- and fitness-related social media content is a predominant behavior among teenage girls, which puts them at risk for consuming unreliable health-related information.

Objective

This mixed-methods study (qualitative and quantitative) assessed health behavior attitudes and practices as well as social media use among adolescent girls. Additionally, similar practices and behaviors of adults who regularly interact with this population were studied.

Methods

Girls aged 12-18 years were recruited to complete a 28-item survey and participate in a 45- to 60-minute focus group. Adults who regularly interact with adolescent girls, including parents, teachers, and healthcare professionals, were recruited from the local community and given a link to provide online consent and complete a survey.

Results

A total of 27 adolescent girls participated in one of nine focus groups. Participants included 18 high school (age: mean 16.1 years; SD 1.3 years) and 9 middle school (age: mean 12.4 years; SD 0.7 years) girls. Eleven adults completed the online survey. Adolescents used social media to communicate and connect with friends, rather than as a source of health information. Although adolescents may see health-related content, most do not follow health-related pages or share such pages themselves, and fewer are actively searching for this information. Adolescents tend to trust information from familiar sources, and the participants reported that they do not follow official news accounts. Adults considered modeling and discussing healthy behaviors important and reportedly expected adolescents to see some level of health-related, especially fitness-related, content on social media.

Conclusions

Education interventions are warranted for both adolescents and adults with whom adolescent girls regularly interact, in the areas of sedentary behavior to guide them to access reliable online health-related information and be judicious consumers of online health information.

The Contribution of Social Media to Body Dissatisfaction, Eating Disorder Symptoms, and Anabolic Steroid Use Among Sexual Minority Men

Social media has been associated with body dissatisfaction and eating disorder symptoms among young women and adolescent girls. However, despite notable evidence of susceptibility to body image pressures, it remains unknown whether these associations generalize to sexual minority men. A nationwide sample of 2,733 sexual minority men completed an online survey advertised to Australian and New Zealand users of a popular dating app. Participants answered questions about how frequently they used 11 different social media platforms in addition to questions about their dating app use, body image, eating disorder symptoms, and anabolic steroids. Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, and Snapchat were the most frequently used social media platforms. A pattern of small-sized and positive associations emerged between social media use and body dissatisfaction, eating disorder symptoms, and thoughts about using anabolic steroids. Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat evidenced the strongest associations. The associations of social media use with both muscularity dissatisfaction and eating disorder symptoms were stronger for image-centric social media platforms (e.g., Instagram) than nonimage-centric platforms (e.g., Wordpress); no differences were observed for body fat dissatisfaction, height dissatisfaction, or thoughts about using anabolic steroids. Previously documented associations of social media use with body dissatisfaction and related variables among women and girls appear to generalize to sexual minority men. Social media platforms that more centrally involve imagery may be of greater concern than nonimage-centric platforms. Additional research with sexual minority men is needed to elucidate the distinctions between adaptive and maladaptive social media use in the context of body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, and anabolic steroid use.

Uso de redes sociais, influência da mídia e insatisfação com a imagem corporal de adolescentes brasileiras

RESUMO Objetivo Avaliar relações entre a influência da mídia e o uso de redes sociais na imagem corporal (IC) de adolescentes do sexo feminino. Métodos Estudo transversal realizado com meninas adolescentes estudantes de escola pública e de uma organização não governamental da capital e do interior de São Paulo. Além de variáveis sociodemográficas e antropométricas, a avaliação da (IC) foi realizada pela Escala de Silhuetas Brasileiras. A influência da mídia foi avaliada pela subescala 1 de internalização geral da Escala de Atitudes Socioculturais em Relação à Aparência (SATAQ-3). Por fim, foram aplicadas perguntas sobre a frequência de acesso às mídias sociais e possível influência delas na IC. Resultados Participaram 212 meninas (14,8; DP 1,69 anos), sendo a maioria eutrófica (65,1%), pertencentes às classes sociais D e E, com escolaridade materna correspondente ao ensino médio completo; 85,8% estavam insatisfeitas com a IC; a maioria desejava uma silhueta menor. As meninas que escolheram figuras menores como desejadas apresentaram valores superiores na SATAQ-3 (p < 0,001). O acesso diário maior de 10 vezes ao dia ao Facebook e Instagram aumentou a chance de insatisfação em 6,57 e 4,47 vezes, respectivamente. Conclusão As mídias, incluindo as redes sociais, estão associadas à insatisfação da IC de meninas adolescentes.