Social comparison of fitness social media postings by fitness app users

Turning likes into lifts: Understanding how adolescents experience fitfluencer content and the opportunities it offers them

Current research on fitfluencers and fitspiration content is mostly quantitative and emphasizes its negative impact, overlooking its opportunities. Adolescents, who are undergoing an important and delicate developmental period, are largely understudied in research on fitfluencers and fitspiration. Combined with more than 80% of the world's adolescents not being sufficiently physically active, more research is needed on how fitfluencers may positively impact adolescents' mental and physical health. Through 20 semi-structured in-depth interviews with adolescents (aged 14-18), this study explores their lived experiences with fitfluencers and the role these play in their mental and physical health, and which opportunities fitfluencers offer to positively impact adolescents. Adolescents reported minimal negative consequences of fitfluencers and experience more motivation than demotivation. Four main opportunities-information, authenticity, actionable content, and entertainment-incited motivation to exercise and make fitfluencers' appearance and lifestyle more attainable and relatable. These results can guide future research on how fitfluencers can positively affect adolescents.

Digital citizen science for ethical monitoring of youth physical activity frequency: Comparing mobile ecological prospective assessments and retrospective recall

Physical inactivity is a leading risk factor for mortality worldwide. Understanding youth patterns of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is essential for addressing non-communicable diseases. Digital citizen science approaches, using citizen-owned smartphones for data collection, offer an ethical and innovative method for monitoring MVPA. This study compares the frequency of MVPA reported by youth using retrospective surveys and mobile ecological prospective momentary assessments (mEPAs) to explore the potential of digital citizen science for physical activity (PA) surveillance. Youth (N = 808) were recruited from Saskatchewan, Canada, between August and December 2018. Sixty-eight participants (ages 13-21) provided complete data on retrospective surveys (International Physical Activity Questionnaire, Simple Physical Activity Questionnaire, Global Physical Activity Questionnaire) and prospective mEPAs. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests compared retrospective and prospective MVPA frequencies, while negative binomial regression analysis examined associations between contextual factors and MVPA. Significant differences were found in the frequency of MVPA reported via retrospective surveys versus mEPAs (p < 0.000). Prospective MVPA was associated with family and friend support, having drug-free friends, part-time employment, and school distance, while retrospective MVPA frequency was associated with school and strength training. Digital citizen science, utilizing mEPAs, can provide more accurate and timely data on youth MVPA. With increasing smartphone access and digital literacy, mEPAs represent a promising method for developing effective and personalized MVPA recommendations for youth. However, these findings should be interpreted with caution, as the sample represents a small subset of youth, limiting generalizability to other youth populations.

The relationship between social media, exercise motivation and exercise behaviour in physically active men

Fitness-based social media is growing in popularity, however its effects on exercise motivation and behaviour are underexplored in men. A cross-sectional design was used to investigate this in 224 male social media users (M Age = 32.76, range = 18-50, 81.8% White) in the UK. Questionnaires on social media use, (Overall, Platform and Fitness Social Media Use) and exercise (Motivation, Frequency and History) were completed. Results showed that Fitness Social Media Use was significantly positively associated with Exercise Frequency (number of exercise sessions per week) but not Exercise History (length of time consistently exercised for). Overall Social Media Use was significantly negatively associated with Exercise History. Fitness Social Media Use was more strongly associated with autonomous motivations (rather than controlled). Findings suggest fitness social media use may be associated with short-term, but not long-term exercise behaviour, but its links to exercise motivation are complex and likely bidirectional.

When I Receive Too Much Social Support: The Effect of Social Support Overload on Users' Life Burnout and Discontinuance in Fitness Apps

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

As fitness apps increasingly incorporate social interaction features, users may find themselves overwhelmed by an excess of received support, struggling to effectively manage it. Highlighting a novel recipient-centric perspective, we aim to investigate the impact of social support overload on users' life burnout and discontinuance within fitness apps.

METHODS

Utilizing Social Support Theory and Basic Psychological Needs Theory, we develop a model to examine how emotional, network, and informational support overload affect life burnout and discontinuance through the frustration of basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. A total of 443 fitness app users were included in our study, and we employed Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to empirically test this model.

RESULTS

The results highlight the significant mediating role of the frustration of basic psychological needs between social support overload and life burnout/discontinuance. Network and informational support overload positively correlate with frustration of all needs, whereas emotional support overload shows a complex relationship. All need frustrations are linked to life burnout, but only autonomy and relatedness frustrations significantly lead to discontinuance. Additionally, gender and app use proficiency are significant control variables impacting discontinuance.

CONCLUSIONS

This study adopts a novel recipient-centric perspective to explore social support overload, examining its effects on life burnout and discontinuance and offering practical implications for both users and app managers.

#workoutathome: How Instructions in the Captions of Fitfluencers' Posts Impact Adolescents' Body Satisfaction and Intention to Exercise

The present study examines how content of fitfluencers can be employed to improve body satisfaction and intention to exercise among adolescents. Specifically, this experimental study (N = 114 adolescents, age: 16-18) compares the effects of fitfluencer content with instructional captions that contain exercise or workout instructions (as a form of edutainment) with those of self-focused fitfluencer captions that emphasize the fitfluencer's appearance. These two types of captions are found to induce no significant differences in either body satisfaction or intention to exercise. In addition, there were no significant indirect effects via state appearance comparison or self-efficacy. The results do show that less state appearance comparisons increase body satisfaction, and that more self-efficacy increases body satisfaction and intention to exercise. The results suggest that instructions in fitfluencer captions do not differ from self-focused captions in their effects on body satisfaction and intention to exercise among adolescents.

Fitness self-presentations on social media and the impact of social support on physical activities

Social media serves as one of the primary outlets for self-presentation and receiving social support. Even when individuals portray themselves negatively, it might not necessarily be intended for social disapproval. Conversely, positive self-presentation doesn't always guarantee social support. This study examined the relationship between positive and negative fitness self-presentations on social media and the reception of supportive feedback. Additionally, it investigated how social support might influence individuals' self-efficacy, motivation, and participation in physical activities (PA). Participants were fitness app users recruited from a crowdsourcing internet marketplace who had shared their fitness experiences on social media. The results indicated that both types of self-presentation received social support: presenters receiving more social support showed higher self-efficacy for PA. Moreover, fitness posters with higher self-efficacy in PA showed greater motivation for PA. This research suggests that fitness self-presentation allows users to receive social support, fostering confidence and motivation for engaging in PA.

Feeling low: How social media influences employees' knowledge hidings and innovative behavior

Prior research has identified both positive and negative consequences arising from the widespread integration of social media within the organizations. The present research suggests that upward social comparison (USC) in social media is related to psychological disengagement resulting in knowledge hiding and lower innovative behavior of individuals. It further suggests that mindfulness mitigates the impact of USC in social media. A two-wave longitudinal survey reveals that individuals who engage in comparative self-assessment with friends projecting an aura of unattainable success on social media unwittingly cause psychological disengagement, a phenomenon which, in turn, precipitates a palpable decline in their innovative behavior and rise in knowledge hiding. Furthermore, our exploration unravels an intricate layer of this narrative - mindfulness of employees for online social interactions reduces this adverse cascade. This study draws attention to the necessity for vigilant managerial oversight. It serves as a clarion call, illuminating the concealed facets of social media, dappled with the intricate interplay of online social comparisons. This research transcends traditional paradigms by introducing a unique perspective on employee engagement with social media, contemplated in the context of online social comparison. It augments the current body of knowledge by shedding light on the complex interplay of these variables within the modern workforce.

Exercise or lie down? The impact of fitness app use on users' wellbeing

Introduction

The use of fitness apps is becoming more and more widespread, and its impact on people's well-being has received more and more attention.

Methods

The relationship between fitness app use and users' well-being and the influence mechanism was explored using structural equation modeling with upward social comparison as the mediating variable and self-control as the moderating variable.

Results

The questionnaire survey of 1,452 fitness app users over 18 years old shows that: (1) fitness app use is associated with users' well-being; (2) upward social comparison plays a mediating role in the relationship between fitness app use and users' well-being; (3) self-control has a moderating effect on the relationship between fitness app use and users' well-being.

Discussion

Self-control plays a significant moderating role between social comparison and well-being, upward social comparison can improve the well-being of high self-control users but reduce the well-being of low self-control users.

Maintaining healthy lifestyle through fitness app use: A parallel mediation model from a nationwide survey

Objective

Adolescents face various health challenges due to academic pressures and sedentary lifestyles. Establishing healthy habits during this critical period is essential for long-term well-being. With the widespread use of fitness apps, understanding their impact on adolescent health behaviors and the underlying mechanisms is crucial. Guided by social support theory and social comparison theory, this study examined the influence of WeRun, a fitness app within WeChat, on adolescents' adoption of healthy lifestyles. It investigated the correlation between WeRun usage and healthy behaviors, as well as the underlying mechanisms driving this relationship.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted across 31 provinces and metropolitans in China, utilizing a random cluster sampling approach targeting high school and freshman students aged 15-24 (N = 1312). A parallel mediation model was employed to test the hypotheses.

Results

The analysis showed that WeRun use positively predicted both social support and social comparison. Meanwhile, both social support and social comparison were positively associated with healthy lifestyles. Additionally, WeRun use could not directly predict healthy lifestyles. However, WeRun use indirectly predicted healthy lifestyles via social support and social comparison.

Conclusions

The study's findings revealed the pivotal roles of social support and social comparison as mediating variables in the relationship between adolescents' WeRun usage and adoption of healthy lifestyles. The results contributed to the current comprehension of the mechanisms linking app utilization to health-promoting behaviors. Furthermore, it provided valuable insights for promoting adolescent health and informed improved design strategies for fitness apps.

Association between fitness technology use and physical activity mediated by communication behaviors on social media

Objective

Fitness technologies, such as smartphone applications and wearable tracking devices, have gained widespread popularity. This study had two main objectives: 1) to examine whether fitness technology use is associated with increased physical activity (PA) levels and 2) to investigate whether communication behaviors on social media mediated the association between fitness technology use and PA.

Methods

Data were from the U.S. Health Information National Trends Survey 2022 (N = 6,252, weighted N = 258,418,467). Weighted linear regressions were conducted to examine the associations between fitness technology usage, physical activities, and communication behaviors on social media. Mediations were tested using PROCESS macro, a path-analysis based tool.

Results

Controlling for demographic and other known influences on PA, the findings revealed that users of fitness technology reported higher levels of both moderate PA (β = .41, p < 0.001) and strength training (β = .29, p < 0.001). Additionally, communication behaviors (i.e., sharing personal health information on social media and watching health-related videos on social media) mediated the relationship between fitness technology use and frequencies of strength training.

Conclusion

The results underscored the potential of fitness technologies in enhancing PA levels through promoting communication behaviors on social media.

Be Careful When Using Peer-Influence on Nudging Solicitation: Evidence of Potential Negative Effect from a Sample of Chinese University Students

PURPOSE

Peer information is now commonly used in solicitation. However, scholars have long focused on testing its effectiveness on increasing the donation amount without paying attention to its potential negative effects on donors. Thus, the current study employs high vs low peer donation amount (HPDA vs LPDA) information to explore its effect on "how-much-to-donate" decisions and the corresponding neural and psychological reactions at the same time.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

Student samples from a Chinese university and behavioral experiments with the event-related potential (ERP) method were used in this study.

RESULTS

The behavioral results are consistent with previous research in which HPDA was positively associated with higher donation levels. ERP results show the mechanisms behind decision-making can be summarized into a cognitive approach represented by cost-benefit analysis and an affective approach represented by reward perception. More surprisingly, in contrast to the behavioral results, LPDA elicits higher level of reward perception than HPDA.

CONCLUSION

The results indicate that although HPDA leads to higher levels of donation, donors do not show higher levels of reward anticipation at the neurological level, indicating the increment of donation may come at the cost of donors. Theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.

The Moderation Role of AI-Enabled Service Quality on the Attitude Toward Fitness Apps

Artificial intelligent technology is rapidly transforming the fitness apps landscape by applying data mining technologies within given parameters. These wide-ranging AI-enabled services improve user interface and enhance customers' experience when exercising with the fitness apps. The current study integrated the four antecedents—technological functions, intrinsic information quality, perceived enjoyment, and social connection—to investigate the moderating influence of AI-enabled service quality on users' attitude toward physical activity. PLS-SEM was used to analyze and validate a sample of 170 participants. The findings posited that individuals' attitude toward physical activity is encouraged by the (1) technological functions (2) intrinsic information quality, and (3) perceived enjoyment. Further, the moderating role of AI-enabled service positively influencing the attitude toward physical activity with technological functions was also established.

The impact of social media influencers' bragging language styles on consumers' attitudes toward luxury brands: The dual mediation of envy and trustworthiness

On social media, luxury brand managers often use influencers' bragging language as a marketing tool. As modesty is considered a virtue in the Chinese context, Chinese influencers tend to adopt a humblebragging language style. Research has examined the impact of bragging language styles on luxury brands and has found that humblebragging, which appears to be modest, has a negative influence on brand attitudes. From the perspective of social comparison theory, we proposed a dual mediation model of malicious envy and trustworthiness to reveal the internal mechanisms and moderating factors of the negative effects of humblebragging. The results of three experiments indicated that compared with straightforward bragging, humblebragging was more likely to elicit malicious envy and lower levels of trust in an influencer, resulting in negative attitudes toward the luxury brand endorsed. Moreover, this negative effect was stronger when the influencer lacked expertise or had high similarity with consumers. Our findings enrich the antecedents of social media influencer marketing and provide managers with implications for maximizing the effectiveness of influencer marketing by matching influencers with word-of-mouth content.

Materialism and envy as mediators between upward social comparison on social network sites and online compulsive buying among college students

Upward social comparison on Social Network Sites (SNS) might be positively related to online compulsive buying; however, there is little understanding of the mechanism of this relationship. In this study, we explored the effect of upward social comparison on SNS on online compulsive buying, and whether this effect is mediated by materialism and envy. A total of 568 Chinese undergraduates (mean age = 19.58 years, SD = 1.43) were recruited to complete a survey that included Upward social comparison on SNS Scale, Materialism Scale, Envy Scale, and Online compulsive buying Scale. The results revealed that upward social comparison was positively linked to online compulsive buying. Additionally, materialism and envy completely mediated this relationship. Our findings suggest that upward social comparison has a positive influence on college students' online compulsive buying and that this influence is formed through a combination of cognitive factors (materialism) and affective factors (envy). This discovery not only clarifies the underlying mechanism but also proposes a potential way of alleviating online compulsive buying.

The impact of online health community engagement on lifestyle changes: A serially mediated model

Background

Due to reduced physical labor and increased food availability, making healthy lifestyle changes is becoming increasingly challenging. Prior studies have suggested that strong ties (such as friends or family members) help promote positive lifestyle behavior changes while weak ties like online friends hardly make a difference in activating healthy lifestyle changes. More recent studies have found evidence of positive lifestyle changes brought about by health APPs. Yet, the process through which online health community (OHC) engagement is related to healthy lifestyle changes has not been fully explored.

Methods

Drawing on social network theory and the self-efficacy literature, we argued that the information and emotional support which users obtained from OHCs is positively associated with health self-efficacy, which in turn is positively associated with lifestyle changes. Then we constructed a serially mediated model between OHC engagement and healthy lifestyle changes and collected 320 valid questionnaires through an online survey. We tested the model by applying structural equation modeling via Mplus 8.3, which uses bootstrapping (5,000 samples) to test the significance of the mediated paths.

Results

This study demonstrated that the informational and emotional support that users receive from OHC engagement positively affects healthy lifestyle changes via the mediating role of health self-efficacy. We also found that healthy lifestyle changes are an outcome of enhanced health self-efficacy through the effect of informational and emotional support from OHC engagement.

Conclusions

Our findings help explain how OHC users make healthy lifestyle changes by utilizing the informational and emotional support to develop health self-efficacy. The results also highlight the value of informational and emotional support as important resources which users acquire from OHC engagement. Thus, we suggest that OHC users utilize the informational and emotional support to enhance health self-efficacy and facilitate healthy lifestyle changes. Future research could explore the dynamic process through which OHC engagement influences lifestyle changes by designing longitudinal research and addressing the limitations of the present study.

Gym-Goers' Self-Identification with Physically Attractive Fitness Trainers and Intention to Exercise

Gym-goers often socially compare themselves with their trainers as they strive to look as attractive as their fitness trainers. The aim of this study was to better understand this phenomenon in the fitness industry. Relying on social comparison theory and social identity theory, self-identification with a physically attractive fitness trainer was posited to have a strong mediating effect on the relationship between appearance motive, weight management motive and gym-goers’ intention to exercise. The moderation effects of gym-goers’ age and gender in the direct relationships between appearance motive, weight management motive and exercise intention were also examined. The primary outcome of this study revealed that gym-goers who were influenced by appearance and weight management motives are more likely to identify with physically attractive fitness trainers. Additionally, gender significantly moderates the relationships between appearance motive, weight management motive and exercise intention. Appearance and weight management motives are the primary factors that influence the exercise intention of female gym-goers as compared to their male counterparts. This study sheds new insights into understanding the influence of the physical attractiveness of fitness trainers and its impact on gym-goers’ exercise intentions via self and social identification process.