The Influence of Social Media on Adolescent Body Image Ideals
A Study of Middle School Students in Guangzhou-Foshan, China
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22010560 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Yitong Zhu (0009-0008-2793-6470, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue | 08 |
| Pages | 604-621 |
| Publication date | 2023-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Advances in Applied Sociology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2165-4328 • E-ISSN: 2165-4336 |
| Publisher | Scientific Research Publishing, Inc. (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.4236/aasoci.2023.138038 |
| OpenAlex | W4386264553 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 21 |
This research is aiming to fill the data gap between Eastern and male data on adolescents’ body image and examined the relationship between social media usage and body image concerns among 132 middle school students aged 14 and 19 in the Guangzhou-Foshan area, China, using partial subscales of the Negative Physical Self Scale (NNPS) and quantified media exposure questionnaire to conduct Pearson coefficient analysis. Modern social media is not only a tool for leisure but also a key marker of popular trends. Previous research has highlighted the main difference between traditional media and social media, with the latter putting more emphasis on comparison combined with the “high-visual” nature. Researchers have identified this as one of the major factors contributing to negative feelings about body image, and existing studies have proved that upward social comparison among people on social media has aroused widespread body image concern. Given that women tend to express greater concerns about body image than men do, many studies on body image often focus exclusively on female samples, with existing data mostly concentrated in western countries. The results revealed a negative correlation between body image satisfaction and the degree of media exposure in adolescents. These findings suggest that exposure to the ideal body image in the social media environment make a detrimental effect on adolescents expressing dissatisfaction with their adolescents’ body image and pursuing a more perfect body. Dissatisfaction will increase with heavier involvement of specific content views and browsing time. Future research could focus on whether interventions aimed at enhancing media literacy could effectively mitigate negative body image among adolescents
Advertising · China · Developmental psychology · Feeling · Geography · Mass media · Political science · Psychological intervention · Social media · Eating Disorders and Behaviors · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Media Influence and Health · Psychology · Social Psychology
Highly-visual social media and internalizing symptoms in adolescence
Social comparisons on social media
The State of Media Literacy
The Negative Physical Self Scale
Social Media and Body Image Concerns
“I don’t need people to tell me I’m pretty on social media
Social media, body image and food choices in healthy young adults
The effects of active social media engagement with peers on body image in young women
Instagram use and young women’s body image concerns and self-objectification
Does Media Type Matter? The Role of Identification in Adolescent Girls’ Media Consumption and the Impact of Different Thin-Ideal Media on Body Image
A Biopsychosocial Model of Social Media Use and Body Image Concerns, Disordered Eating, and Muscle-Building Behaviors among Adolescent Girls and Boys
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |