The Role of Social Media Use in the Rising Levels of Body Dissatisfaction among Young Adult Women

The Role of Social Media Use in the Rising Levels of Body Dissatisfaction among Young Adult Women

Abstract

Among the major controversial topics is the link between the use of social media and body dissatisfaction. Various studies show that young women, particularly teenagers, have negative body image and high body dissatisfaction after too much exposure to social media. This study has focused on the link between the use of social media and body dissatisfaction among young women between the ages of 18 and 29 in a university in the US. A simple random sampling was used to recruit the participants, and the expected number was 500. A questionnaire to test for body dissatisfaction, as well as social media use, was administered to the participants. The data will be analyzed through bivariate correlation and regression analyses. It is hypothesized that peer-to-peer comparison will play a key role in enhancing body dissatisfaction among participants who are exposed to social media for long periods of time. Do you need help with your assignment ? Get in touch with us at eminencepapers.com.

Introduction

Various studies have documented the negative effects of traditional media like television and magazines on the body image of individuals, but more recently, social media platforms like Facebook have become the center of attention. However, with the rising popularity and pervasiveness of social media in society, researchers have increasingly investigated the probable effects of such platforms on body image (Fardouly & Vartanian, 2016). The current society has also seen an increase in the levels of body dissatisfaction among women, which is manifested in the form of excessive exercise, disordered eating as well as other mental health problems like anxiety and depression. The rise in body dissatisfaction and negative body image has been linked to the increased use of social media. This study will focus on the link between social media and body dissatisfaction among young women between the ages of 18 and 29. The study will seek to answer the questions:

With the rise in incidents of mental health problems like depression, eating disorders, and anxiety, what role does social media use play in facilitating these problems, particularly in regard to issues of body dissatisfaction among young adult women between 18 and 29 years of age?

Does peer to peer comparison in social media platforms cause body dissatisfaction among young women between 18 and 29 years of age?

Literature Review

Some of the terms that are key to this study include social media, body dissatisfaction, and peer-to-peer comparison. Social media refers to internet-based communications that facilitate sharing of information and conversations. Such platforms include Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp, among others. They enhance self-expression and social support, and young individuals spend a significant amount of time on these platforms (about 3 hours a day), although this lessens with age (Hayes, van Stolk-Cooke & Muench, 2015). Marques et al. (2022) define body dissatisfaction as the negative perceptions, thoughts, or feelings that individuals have regarding their physical appearances, such as shape and weight. Body dissatisfaction is linked with low quality of life and health risk problems, such as anxiety and depressive disorders. Peer-to-peer comparison refers to an individual’s comparison of physical appearance, income status, and educational progress, among others, to determine how best they compare or differ. This literature review will focus on studies that show how these factors link together.

Body Dissatisfaction

Body dissatisfaction is a negative attitude that individuals have towards their own physical appearance. It is one of the aspects of the broader body image concept (views that people have of their physical appearance). Body dissatisfaction rises during adolescence, and girls are particularly said to have higher body dissatisfaction (De Vries & Vossen, 2019). Body dissatisfaction has negative impacts on the well-being of individuals, as it enhances such problems as anxiety, depression, and disordered eating. The use of social media is said to be a key contributor to the body dissatisfaction experienced among young adult women since the media is considered a mirror or standard setter for idealized beauty among women (Huang, Peng & Ahn, 2021). By internalizing such ideals, young women are more prone to poor psychological and physical outcomes.

The Link Between Social Media Use and Body Dissatisfaction

The extent to which media contributes to eating disorders, body dissatisfaction, and life satisfaction among young adult girls is continually debated upon. Various studies have shown that social media platforms have played a key role in the number of young adult women who claim to have high levels of body dissatisfaction as well as disordered eating. According to Fardouly and Vartanian (2016), social media is likely to play a key role in body image and satisfaction because individuals tend to present only idealized versions of themselves, uploading only images that they consider most attractive (which can be enhanced or edited), and getting rid of images that are considered unattractive. Furthermore, even though social media shows images of various individuals like family, celebrities, and friends, it is commonly used to interact with individuals’ peers, and studies suggest that comparison of appearance with one’s peers is especially influential for body image. Lastly, besides images, individuals post other appearance-related comments and content, which can affect the manner in which individuals feel about their individual appearance (Fardouly & Vartanian, 2016). Social media has promoted a culture of selfies, where individuals strive to take the best photos of themselves and make use of filters to enhance their beauty and give the idea of being flawless (Derenne & Beresin, 2018). Marques et al. (2022) propose that since social media platforms are highly interactive, they increase the intensity of engagement with the idealized appearance and image comparison, hence raising the negative effects.

Various cross-sectional and correlational studies have looked at the link between the use of social media and body image. One of the studies on pre-teenage girls as well as female high school students has identified that users of Facebook tend to report increased drive for thinness, body surveillance, dieting, thin-ideal internalization, appearance comparison, and self-objectification compared to non-users (Fardouly & Vartanian, 2016). The importance that individuals attach to social media platforms like Facebook also plays a key role in their body consciousness and body shame. The duration of time spent on such platforms, as well as being upper class, are also considered contributing factors to the thin-ideal internalization (De Vries & Vossen, 2019). Stronge et al. (2015) also conducted a correlational study on the link between the use of social media and body dissatisfaction and reported that compared to non-users, users of Facebook reported a higher level of body dissatisfaction, as well as disordered eating attitudes and the effect, was worse among women who tend to use Facebook, more than men. Aparicio-Martinez et al. (2019) claim that the contradiction that exists between society’s portrayal as a role model or ideal body and the real body possessed by young women causes major dissatisfaction, causing these women to experience psychological and emotional distress that leads them to disordered eating and other mental health problems like depression and anxiety. More recent studies focus on social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook, with similar results on elevated body dissatisfaction among young women (Alruwayshid et al., 2021).

Longitudinal studies, albeit few, have also been conducted, showing that concerns about body image, particularly weight concerns, continue into adulthood as opposed to diminishing across most women’s lifespans (Marques et al., 2022). For instance, 60 percent of women between the ages of 60 and 70 report overall body dissatisfaction, which causes them to engage in disordered eating like purging, fasting, strict dieting, and bingeing (Marques et al., 2022). This is backed by Ferguson et al. (2014), who claim that the use of social media increases peer competition and comparison later in life, hence increasing body dissatisfaction and disordered eating tendencies.

Peer-to-Peer Comparison

Research shows that body dissatisfaction that individuals experience after using social media commonly arises from peer-to-peer comparisons of physical appearances. According to Fardouly and Vartanian (2016), over 10 million new photos are uploaded by individuals on Facebook on an hourly basis every day. Such photos offer regular chances for the users to make social comparisons and appearance comparisons, and studies reveal that a regular comparison of oneself to others, especially individuals who are considered more attractive, is a key component in enhancing the positive link between social media use and high body dissatisfaction as well as self-objectification among individuals (Fardouly & Vartanian, 2015; Mabe, Forney & Keel, 2014). Therefore, peer-to-peer comparison is a key factor in this study.

The reviewed pieces of literature have placed major emphasis on the link between the use of social media platforms like Facebook and body dissatisfaction among both males and females across all ages. However, there is agreement among the pieces of literature that the impact is stronger among younger women. My study will solely focus on the link between the use of social media and body dissatisfaction among young women between the ages of 18 and 29, who are known to have a higher tendency to use social media compared to other age groups. This study hypothesizes that:

Prolonged use of social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram exposes young female adults to high levels of body dissatisfaction.

Comparison of beauty ideals with one’s peers enhances body dissatisfaction that is commonly manifested through disordered eating, depression, anxiety, and excessive exercise.

Methods

Participants

Young individuals, especially teenagers and young adults, have an increasing tendency to use social media platforms. The majority of these individuals are found in schools or in the workplace. The population targeted in this study comprises women of all races and ethnicity between the ages of 18 and 29. These women will be randomly recruited in a university in the US upon obtaining informed consent from the university officials, the Institution Review Board as well as the participants. A total of 500 participants are expected to take part in the study.

Measures

The participants will be offered questionnaires on the Body Attitude Test, which will be used to measure general body dissatisfaction. BAT was developed by Probst et al. (1995) and had a sub-scale consisting of a 7-point Likert scale, which ranges between completely disagree and completely agree. The Multidimensional Scale of Facebook Use will also be used to help measure the amount of time individuals use social media platforms like Facebook. Questions such as “How frequently do you check on a friend’s or previous classmate’s social media account?” will be asked. The MSFU has been employed by de Vries et al. (2018) in their study on how social media influences body dissatisfaction and the role that parents play in mitigating negative effects.

Procedure

Informed consent will be obtained from the IRB, the university official as well as the participants before beginning the study. The participants will be randomly selected from the university at large. Demographic information will be obtained to filter out individuals based on gender and age. The participants will be given questionnaires that will help measure their level of body dissatisfaction and use of social media.

Results

The impact of social media use on individuals’ body dissatisfaction might be influenced by external factors like self-esteem and personality. However, these factors will not be controlled in this study. Bivariate correlations between the models will be conducted to test the relations between the use of social media, body dissatisfaction, peer-to-peer comparison, as well as other secondary variables like eating disorders and anxiety. Since these correlations fail to control for any confounding influences, it will be important to employ regression analyses in order to test the hypotheses. These correlations will help determine whether the hypotheses will be rejected or not rejected. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis will be conducted, and body dissatisfaction will be the dependent variable, whereas the use of social media will be the independent variable. The data will be presented in tabular form as this is easier to read and interpret. However, to understand and interpret the relations between the variables, a graph will be drawn in SPSS to help determine whether the relation is positive or negative. Upon completion of the study, the results will be communicated by publishing in a scholarly journal, particularly the Journal of Youth and Adolescence, as the topic majorly applies to young individuals.

 References

Alruwayshid, M. S., Alduraywish, S. A., Allafi, A. H., Alshuniefi, A. S., Alaraik, E. F., Alreshidi, F., … & Alruwayshid, N. S. (2021). The influence of social media on body dissatisfaction among college students. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 10(4), 1741.

Aparicio-Martinez, P., Perea-Moreno, A. J., Martinez-Jimenez, M. P., Redel-Macías, M. D., Pagliari, C., & Vaquero-Abellan, M. (2019). Social media, thin-ideal, body dissatisfaction and disordered eating attitudes: An exploratory analysis. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(21), 4177.

De Vries, D. A., & Vossen, H. G. (2019). Social media and body dissatisfaction: investigating the attenuating role of positive parent-adolescent relationships. Journal of youth and adolescence, 48(3), 527-536.

Derenne, J., & Beresin, E. (2018). Body image, media, and eating disorders—a 10-year update. Academic Psychiatry, 42(1), 129-134.

Fardouly, J., & Vartanian, L. R. (2015). Negative comparisons about one’s appearance mediate the relationship between Facebook usage and body image concerns. Body image, 12, 82-88.

Fardouly, J., & Vartanian, L. R. (2016). Social media and body image concerns: Current research and future directions. Current opinion in psychology, 9, 1-5.

Ferguson, C. J., Muñoz, M. E., Garza, A., & Galindo, M. (2014). Concurrent and prospective analyses of peer, television and social media influences on body dissatisfaction, eating disorder symptoms and life satisfaction in adolescent girls. Journal of youth and adolescence, 43(1), 1-14.

Hayes, M., van Stolk-Cooke, K., & Muench, F. (2015). Understanding Facebook use and the psychological affects of use across generations. Computers in Human Behavior, 49, 507–511.

Huang, Q., Peng, W., & Ahn, S. (2021). When media become the mirror: A meta-analysis on media and body image. Media Psychology, 24(4), 437-489.

Mabe, A. G., Forney, K. J., & Keel, P. K. (2014). Do you “like” my photo? Facebook use maintains eating disorder risk. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 47(5), 516-523.

Marques, M. D., Paxton, S. J., McLean, S. A., Jarman, H. K., & Sibley, C. G. (2022). A prospective examination of relationships between social media use and body dissatisfaction in a representative sample of adults. Body Image, 40, 1-11.

Probst, M., Vandereycken, W., Coppenolle, H., Van, & Vanderlinden, J. (1995). The body attitude test for patients with an eating disorder: psychometric characteristics of a new questionnaire. Eating Disorders, 3(2), 133–144.

Stronge, S., Greaves, L. M., Milojev, P., West-Newman, T., Barlow, F. K., & Sibley, C. G. (2015). Facebook is linked to body dissatisfaction: Comparing users and non-users. Sex Roles, 73(5), 200-213.

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Your Research Proposal
In this course, you will research a topic of your choice and write an APA-style proposal for a research study in your discipline. The process of developing your research proposal will occur throughout the course; by the end, you will have a complete research proposal to submit. In developing your proposal, you will describe how your study would be conducted following sound research design practices and ethical principles. You will NOT conduct an actual study.

ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS
Your final research proposal will likely be 7-8 pages in length, including the following sections:
Abstract:
This should be a summary of your study; only include the most important information. Your abstract should be no more than 150 words.
Introduction & Literature Review:
Provide a general introduction to your topic and cite relevant research.
• You will introduce your topic and research questions.
• Define any terms that are specific to your research.
• Discuss previous research and how your research will relate to what has been documented in the literature.
• Conclude with your hypothesis.
• Approximately 3-4 pages.
Methods:
This is where you will describe your study in detail through various subsections (approximately 1-2 pages).
• Participants: Describe your sample, starting with a description of the population and drill down from there to your specific sample. Be sure to include the total number of participants you plan to have in your study, their age, gender, and any other important demographic information that may be relevant to your study.
• Measures/Instrumentation: If you are using previously developed measures (i.e., a survey/questionnaire that has been developed and validated by researchers in the field), briefly describe the measure and cite the original authors. If you are using the survey you developed in Module 3 or developing a different measure, be sure to include a copy of your measure in the appendix of your final submission. Be sure to provide a description of the format, content, purpose, and validity of the measure you developed within your proposal.
• Procedure: Here you will describe each step of your study, providing specific details with regard to what the participants in your study will experience. Be sure to include any specific instructions or special procedures that are relevant to your study.