FolioStart free

Psychology · Literature

Research papers on Social media and body image

Recent and highly-cited academic work on social media and body image, gathered from Semantic Scholar, CrossRef and OpenAlex.

Search all 200M+ papers on this topic, free →Or track new social media and body image papers automatically as they publish

  1. The Perfect Storm: A Developmental–Sociocultural Framework for the Role of Social Media in Adolescent Girls’ Body Image Concerns and Mental Health

    Sophia Choukas‐Bradley, Savannah Rose Roberts, Anne Julia Maheux, et al. · 2022 · Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review · 327 citations

    In this theoretical review paper, we provide a developmental-sociocultural framework for the role of social media (SM) in adolescent girls' body image concerns, and in turn, depressive symptoms and disordered eating. We propose that the features of SM (e.g., idealized images of peers, quantifiable feedback) intersect with adolescent developmental factors (e.g., salience of peer relationships) and sociocultural gender socialization processes (e.g., societal over-emphasis on girls' and women's physical appearance) to create the "perfect storm" for exacerbating girls' body image concerns. We argue that, ultimately, body image concerns may be a key mechanism underlying associations between adole

    Save this paper

  4. Processing Body Image on Social Media: Gender Differences in Adolescent Boys’ and Girls’ Agency and Active Coping

    Ciara Mahon, David Hevey · 2021 · Frontiers in Psychology · 118 citations

    Although scholars continue to debate the influence of social media on body image, increased social media use, especially engaging in appearance-related behaviors may be a potential risk factor for body dissatisfaction in adolescents. Little research has investigated how adolescents process appearance-related content and the potential strategies they use to protect body image perceptions on social media. To investigate coping strategies used by adolescents, four qualitative focus groups were conducted with 29 adolescents (23 girls) aged 15–16 years (M = 15.31, SD = 0.47) in mixed-gender Irish secondary schools. Thematic analysis revealed that adolescents employed many different behavioral str

    Save this paper

  5. Social Media Effects Regarding Eating Disorders and Body Image in Young Adolescents

    Khushi Suhag, Shyambabu P. Rauniyar · 2024 · Cureus · 72 citations

    The following study investigates how eating problems and young people's body image are affected by social media. As social media becomes more pervasive, young teenagers are exposed to many pictures, messages, and influencers encouraging unachievable body and beauty ideals. The study investigates the link between social media usage and the development of binge eating disorder patterns and undesirable body image judgments. It also sheds light on the influence that so-called social media influencers and celebrities have on encouraging disordered eating patterns and forming negative body image perceptions. On websites like Instagram and TikTok, exposure to deliberately selected photographs of "i

    Save this paper

  6. Mitigating Harms of Social Media for Adolescent Body Image and Eating Disorders: A Review

    Suzanne E. Mazzeo, Madison Weinstock, Taylor N. Vashro, et al. · 2024 · Psychology Research and Behavior Management · 70 citations

    Social media has negative effects on adolescent body image and disordered eating behaviors, yet adolescents are unlikely to discontinue engaging with these platforms. Thus, it is important to identify strategies that can reduce the harms of social media on adolescent mental health. This article reviews research on social media and adolescent body image, and discusses strategies to reduce risks associated with social media use. Topics covered include interventions aimed at mitigating social media's negative impacts, the body-positivity movement, and policies regulating adolescents' social media use. Overall, this review highlights specific factors (such as staffing, duration, modality, facili

    Save this paper

  7. Influence of Social Media Use on Body Image and Well-Being Among Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review.

    Irene Vincente-Benito, María del Valle Ramírez-Durán · 2023 · Journal of psychosocial nursing and mental health services · 61 citations

    Social media has been classified as a new form of addiction. The aim of the current systematic review was to analyze social media's impact on body image and well-being among adolescents and young adults. Twenty-one articles published from 2015 to April 2020 were analyzed. Misuse or intensive use of social media was related to body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, risky behaviors, and eating disorders. Information manipulation, lack of media literacy, and internalization of ideal body standards trigger mental problems and risky eating behaviors in this population. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, xx(xx), xx-xx.].

    Save this paper

  9. Self-esteem and social media addiction level in adolescents: The mediating role of body image

    Mehmet Colak, Özlem Şireli, Ali Dayı · 2023 · Indian Journal of Psychiatry · 54 citations

    Background: There are many studies examining the relationship between social media and self-esteem. Studies examining the relationships between the self-esteem, social media use, and body image of adolescents are limited in the literature. Aim: This study aimed to examine the relationship between self-esteem and social media addiction levels in adolescents and the mediating role of body image in the relationship between these two variables. Methods: The sample of the study consisted of 204 adolescents, 67 (32.8%) girls and 137 (67.2%) boys, with a mean age of 15.90 ± 1.20 years, who were high school students. The self-esteem levels of the participants were evaluated with the "Rosenberg Self-

    Save this paper

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

    Scott J. Fatt, J. Fardouly · 2023 · Body image · 27 citations

    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

    Save this paper

  14. Different Categories of Social Media Use and Their Association With Body Image Among Adolescents in 42 Countries

    Meyran Boniel-Nissim, M. Bersia, N. Canale, et al. · 2024 · International Journal of Public Health · 14 citations

    Objectives Social media has become integrated into adolescents’ lives and influences body image perceptions. Our study examined four patterns of social media use (SMU): non-active, active, intensive, and problematic. We hypothesised that intensive SMU and problematic SMU would be associated with negative body image (negative subjective body weight) and over/underestimated body weight congruence, compared to non-active and active SMU. In addition, we expect these associations to be stronger for girls. Methods Data from 190,892 respondents aged 11, 13, and 15 from 42 countries involved in the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study were analysed. Results Findings revealed higher rates o

    Save this paper

  17. The Impact of Social Media on Adolescent Body Image: A Comprehensive Review

    Monique Demetriou, V. Anagnostopoulou, V. Markatis, et al. · 2025 · European Psychiatry · 7 citations

    Introduction Social media has become a powerful influence on adolescent body image. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok, which focus on appearance, often promote idealized body standards, leading young users to internalize unrealistic beauty ideals. This has resulted in increasing body dissatisfaction and negative mental health outcomes, as adolescents seek validation through likes and comments. Objectives This review examines how social media exposure affects body image and emotional wellbeing in adolescents, particularly whether it contributes to negative outcomes like low self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, and mental health issues. Methods A review of international studies published in th

    Save this paper

  19. Physical Activity, Social Media Use, Anxiety, Interoception, and Body Image: A Cross-Sectional Study of Rural Adolescents

    Janette M. Watkins, Janelle M. Goss, Vanessa M. (Martinez) Kercher, et al. · 2025 · American Journal of Health Promotion · 5 citations

    Purpose This investigation aimed to explore relationships among health behaviors, psychological factors, and body image in rural adolescents. Design A cross-sectional survey was conducted. Setting: The study took place in a rural school in the Midwest region of the United States. Subjects Participants (n = 45) were rural adolescents (6th-9th grade). Measures Physical activity was assessed using the CAPL-2 and IPAQ, social media usage and addiction were evaluated through daily screen time and the BSMAS, body image was measured using the BSQ and BAS-2, anxiety levels were assessed with the GAD-7, and interoceptive abilities were measured by the MAIA-Y. These measures are validated for use in a

    Save this paper

  20. How social media influences the self-image and body image among female and male adolescents

    Merete Kolberg Tennfjord, Ashley Rebecca Bell-Mizori, Ragnhild Eg · 2025 · PLoS ONE · 5 citations

    Parents, peers, and social media are the primary drivers of sociocultural influence among young people, where social media is considered the most pervasive and persuasive of these drivers. However, there is a need for a more nuanced understanding of this influence, considering the differences in how young males and females view their self-images and body images. This study combined qualitative data from focus-group interviews and a national survey to investigate social media influences on Norwegian adolescents' body image and self-image. Forty-eight adolescents (58% females) attending secondary schools mean age 15.9 (age range 15-19 years) participated in eight focus-group interviews. Their

    Save this paper

  21. intensity of using TikTok social media as a mediator of self-esteem and body image in adolescents

    Marsa Nabila Rahmalia, Latifatul Laili · 2025 · Jurnal Ilmiah Psikologi Terapan · 4 citations

    In the rapidly developing digital era, social media such as TikTok have become a part of adolescents' lives and have the potential to influence perceptions of body image. The intensity of TikTok use in adolescents has the potential to mediate the relationship between self-esteem and body image, as this platform is often a space for self-exploration and social comparison. This study aimed to determine the intensity of TikTok's social media use in mediating self-esteem and body image in adolescents. This study used a quantitative approach with a purposive sampling technique. The participants comprised 202 male and female adolescents aged 13 to 18 who completed the Multidimensional Body-Self Re

    Save this paper

  22. #BoPo, #Ideal, or #Mixed? Exploring Adolescents’ Daily Exposure to Appearance Content on Social Media and Its Relations with Body Image Components

    Chelly Maes, Robyn Vanherle, Jasmine Fardouly, et al. · 2025 · Communication Research · 4 citations

    When using social media, adolescents encounter various types of appearance-related content. Yet, no research has explored how daily exposure to such types of content, including idealized content, body positivity (BoPo) content, and a mixture of both, links to adolescents’ body image states. With the present 14-day daily diary study among French adolescents ( N  = 108, 1,434 daily assessments, M age  = 15.99, 64.8% girls), we examined how exposure to idealized appearance content and BoPo content predicts adolescents’ state body satisfaction and surveillance on the same day and the next day. More so, we explored how the relationships may vary depending on a co-occurrence of exposure

    Save this paper

  23. Determining the relationship of food neophobia, digital addiction, body image perception on social media with dietary inflammatory index among adolescents

    Rumeysa Albayrak, Yagmur Demirel Ozbek · 2025 · Frontiers in Public Health · 3 citations

    Background Adolescence is a critical period in which both physical and psychological development accelerates and foundational dietary behaviors are established. This study aims to examine the relationships of food neophobia, digital addiction, body image perception on social media with the dietary inflammatory index (DII) among high school adolescents. Method This cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted with a total of 354 high school students, including 200 females and 154 males. Data were collected through questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. The questionnaire included sections on general information, dietary habits, the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS), the Child and Adolesce

    Save this paper

  24. The Relationship between Body Image and Self-Esteem with the Tendency of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) Among Adolescents Using Social Media

    Nindya Ayu Safitri, Suroso, N. Pratitis · 2025 · Journal of Scientific Research, Education, and Technology (JSRET) · 2 citations

    This study aims to analyze the relationship between Body Image and Self-Esteem with the tendency of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) among adolescents using social media. The study involved 115 respondents aged 16–18 who were active social media users. A quantitative method with multiple linear regression was employed. Results indicate a significant relationship between Body Image and Self-Esteem on BDD tendencies (F = 50.669; p < 0.05). Partially, Body Image showed a significant positive relationship with BDD tendencies (t = 8.468; p < 0.05), while Self-Esteem had a significant negative relationship (t = -2.652; p < 0.05). Body Image contributed 40.4%, and Self-Esteem contributed 7.1%, with a

    Save this paper

Write your paper with these sources

Folio is the integrity-first research workspace: search 200M+ papers, save sources, and write with citations that format themselves. Free for students and researchers.

Start writing free →