The Effects of Reducing Social Media Use on Body Esteem Among Transitional-Aged Youth

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 481-507
Author(s):  
Helen Thai ◽  
Christopher G. Davis ◽  
Niall Stewart ◽  
Katie E. Gunnell ◽  
Gary S. Goldfield
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Emotional Distress ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Body Esteem ◽  
High Risk Population ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Time Interaction ◽  
Group Time ◽  
Transitional Aged Youth

Introduction. Social media use (SMU) and body image concerns are highly prevalent in youth. Although several studies have shown that high SMU is crosssectionally associated with lower body esteem, experimental evidence is lacking. This pilot study experimentally evaluated the effects of reducing SMU on body esteem among transitional aged youth (TAY) with emotional distress. Methods. Thirty-eight undergraduate students presenting with elevated symptoms of anxiety/depression were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 16), where SMU was restricted to 60 minutes/day, or to the control group (n = 22), where SMU was not restricted. SMU was monitored via screen-time trackers in participants’ smartphone submitted daily during baseline (1-week) and intervention (3-week) periods. Baseline and post-intervention measurements were taken to assess appearance and weight esteem as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression as secondary outcomes. Results. A significant group × time interaction emerged indicating that the intervention participants showed a significantly greater increase in appearance esteem over the 4 weeks compared to controls. There was no significant between-group difference on change in weight esteem. A significant group × time interaction emerge on anxiety indicating that intervention participants showed a significantly greater improvement in anxiety over the study period compared to controls. There was no significant between-group difference on change in depressive symptoms. Discussion. Reducing SMU may be a feasible and effective method of improving appearance esteem and reducing anxiety in a high-risk population of TAY with emotional distress; however, more high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm findings.

scholarly journals A brief report on the associations amongst social media use, gender, and body esteem in a UK student sample

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 303-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hollie Ormsby ◽  
Alison Leah Owen ◽  
Manpal Singh Bhogal
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Body Esteem ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Student Sample

scholarly journals THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON BODY COMPARISON TENDENCY, BODY-ESTEEM AND SLEEP QUALITY AMONG FEMALE STUDENTS IN A PRIVATE UNIVERSITY IN SHAH ALAM/ MALAYSIA

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-234
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Body Esteem ◽  
Private University ◽  
Female Students ◽  
The Body ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Body Comparison

Introduction: Based on many studies probing the spectrums of social media, it has become evident that social media has changed a variety of human interactive activities such as communication, shopping, source of influence on perception, and even search for knowledge. The study aims to find the relationship between social media usage with the body comparison tendency, body esteem levels, and sleep quality. Methodology: a cross-sectional study design using quantitative data conducted among female students of a private university with a sample size of 267 and using a self-administered questionnaire for data collection. A convenience sampling was used from different faculties of the university. Results: It was found that excessive use of social media significantly predicted that participants engage in body comparison behaviours P<?0.001. It was also found that social media use influenced body esteem levels significantly. Higher social media use influences sleep quality significantly, as well. Conclusion: The results showed that social media use for more than 3 hours had a significant impact on body comparison tendencies among those female university students. It was also concluded that body esteem levels among those that fell into this category who used social media for more than 3 hours were lower compared to those who used social media for lesser than 3 hours in general. In evaluating the impact of social media on sleep quality, it was found that nearly half is at high risk of suffering from insomnia or sleep-related disorders.

scholarly journals Effects of Social Media and Smartphone Use on Body Esteem in Female Adolescents: Testing a Cognitive and Affective Model

Children ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 148
Author(s):  
Hwajin Yang ◽  
Joy Jiaqi Wang ◽  
Germaine Y. Q. Tng ◽  
Sujin Yang
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Body Esteem ◽  
Female Adolescents ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Appearance Anxiety ◽  
Image Appearance ◽  
Smartphone Use ◽  
Negative Impacts

We examined the predictive relations of social media and smartphone use to body esteem in female adolescents and the mechanism that underlies these relations. As a result of frequent social media and smartphone use, adolescents are continually exposed to appearance-related media content. This likely reinforces a thin ideal and fosters appearance-based comparison and increases fear of external evaluation. Hence, we investigated a cognitive-affective framework in which the associations of social media and smartphone use with body esteem are serially mediated by cognitive internalization of an ideal body image, appearance comparisons, and social appearance anxiety. By testing female adolescents (N = 100) aged 13 to 18, we found that excessive social media use leads to unhealthy body esteem via intensified cognitive internalization, which aggravates appearance comparisons and anxiety regarding negative appearance evaluation. Further, we found that screen time for specific smartphone activities also harmed body esteem, independent of social media use. However, overall smartphone screen time did not affect body esteem when social media use was taken into consideration. Our findings underscore the multifactor mechanism that elucidates the negative impacts of social media and smartphone activities on body esteem in female adolescents, who are developmentally susceptible to poor body esteem.

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