The Role of Social Media Use in the Rising Levels of Body Dissatisfaction among Young Adult Women- A Literature Review
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 literature review will focus on the link between social media and body dissatisfaction among young women between the ages of 18 and 29.
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. 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 on 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). 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.
The reviewed literature has 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 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.
Conclusion
In sum, a review of literature has shown a strong positive link between the use of social media and body dissatisfaction among young female adults. These studies have shown that social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook provide the basis of comparison among peers who only post idealized photos of beauty and when individuals fail to meet such standards, they experience psychological distress that leads to body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, anxiety, and depression that might persist into later stages of life.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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Question 
As a reminder, the purpose of a literature review is to provide an overview of what other researchers have discovered about your chosen topic and identify gaps in the literature (i.e., what is missing from our current understanding of the topic?).
The Role of Social Media Use in the Rising Levels of Body Dissatisfaction among Young Adult Women- A Literature Review
Previously, you identified at least five scholarly articles that you reviewed to determine the theoretical/empirical basis for your study. You also identified how your study would fill in the gaps you found in the literature, determined whether the literature supported your hypothesis and drafted a new hypothesis if needed. Lastly, you identified the significance of your study.
ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS
Your literature review should include the following elements. For assistance, refer to this sample literature review (Links to an external site).
To draft your literature review, you will start with an introduction paragraph that starts by identifying your topic.
If you used the Literature Review Notes handout in Week 3, M2.4 Evolve, you should have identified similarities and differences in the articles you read. You will discuss these in the body of your literature review. Typically, discuss the older, more significant studies first and explain how they laid the foundation for the more recent studies you selected.
Lastly, you should include a conclusion paragraph that succinctly summarizes the literature.
Your review should be 3-5 pages in length and must include a reference page and appropriate use of in-text citations.
his assignment is due Sunday of Week 4 by 11:59 PM ET. You will be assessed using the Literature Review Rubric.
This assignment uses Turnitin. Click for Turnitin submission instructions.