Impacts of Social Media Use on Body Dissatisfaction Among Female College Students in China

Tong-Tong Xu

1Editorial Department of Publishing&Printing,Shanghai Publishing and Printing College,Shanghai,China.

Abstract Purposes:This study explores the impact of the influence mechanism of social media on female college students’body dissatisfaction in China and the neglected factors which are not involved in the dominating theoretical framework in this field.Methods:The study adopts a qualitative,in-depth interview method.Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 female college students who were concerned about their weight and figures in an attempt to understand their social media use and their perceptions of their body shapes.Findings:Internalization of the thin-ideal,perceived discrepancy,and appearance comparison moderate the relationship between social media use and female college students’ body dissatisfaction.Participants exposed to social media tend to internalize the thin-ideal,perceive a discrepancy between their actual body shape and the thin-ideal,and make appearance comparisons,particularly with their peers;subsequently,these students experience body dissatisfaction.Conclusions:The ideal image of thinness that is promoted and diffused by social media creates a strict standard for females.Female college students are likely to suffer from body dissatisfaction the more they consume certain types of social media.Due to the interactive and virtual quality of social networking platforms,peers play a unique role in the influence mechanism,which is not present in traditional forms of mass media.

Keywords:Body dissatisfaction,Social media,Thin-ideal,Body image,Tripartite model

Introduction

Body dissatisfaction,which refers to experiencing negative thoughts and low self-esteem regarding one’s body,is a widespread phenomenon in contemporary society,especially among young women.Higher levels of body dissatisfaction are associated with several psychological and behavioral problems ranging from depression to eating disorders.In this context,the rise of social media is considered a new threat,as it contains an unprecedented amount of information on thinness and has the potential to affect body image disturbance.This study explores how social media contributes to female college students’feelings of body dissatisfaction.By identifying relevant factors,this study helps eliminate adverse effects and promote healthy body attitudes.

Research has shown that body dissatisfaction is a gender-related problem.Scholars have analyzed the individual and environmental factors related to body dissatisfaction and the connection between media use and adolescent girls’ body image.However,there are few studies that target young women.The tripartite model [1] provides a solid basis for understanding the influence mechanism of mass media;however,the development of social media has dramatically changed everyday life,and such a model may not be able to fully explain the way social media contributes to women’s body image.More mediating factors need to be explored in this new era.

Women are more susceptible than men to body dissatisfaction,and thus suffer from a variety of problems,including depressive symptoms,bulimic pathology,and other eating disorders [2-4].Such gender differences may be attributable to women’s lower self-esteem,which is tied to their appearance[5].In addition,a catalyst model was proposed from an evolutional viewpoint to explain women’s vulnerability.This model interprets body dissatisfaction as a direct result of inter-female competition for mates [6].Nevertheless,related research has primarily concentrated on adolescent girls,while less attention has been paid to young women,who also constitute a significant proportion of victims.

Body dissatisfaction studies

Previous studies have explored individual and environmental factors that may relate to women’s body dissatisfaction.Individual factors include various physiological and psychological variables,body mass index [7],and self-objectification [8].However,most studies focus on socio-environmental aspects [9-10].The tripartite model,which is composed of the three principal sources of influence,provides an explanatory framework for comprehending the role that peers,parents,and media play in the development of body dissatisfaction.According to this model,the three aforementioned socio-cultural factors,together with two mediating factors (internalization of the thin-ideal and appearance comparison),can predict instances of body dissatisfaction.Among the three concurrent sources,media factors,the most influential factor [11],has attracted wide-ranging discussions on its functioning mechanism.

Media influence and body dissatisfaction

Numerous studies in this field have sought to examine the correlation between media use and body dissatisfaction,and most of these studies have identified a positive association.Regarding the definition of media use,this study emphasizes media content rather than frequency of media exposure.Exposure to a certain type of mass media content is found to be more strongly associated with body dissatisfaction than exposure frequency [12].Meanwhile,women exposed to images of either individual body parts or full bodies are likely to experience increased negative moods and body dissatisfaction,while product images don’t have such an effect[13],indicating that content specific to weight and body type is crucial to this response.On this basis,this paper thoroughly analyses ideal images of thin bodies in mass media,which were found to be positively related to women’s body dissatisfaction and eating disorders[14-15].

Moreover,the way that media use contributes on women’s body image is also an important topic,and the tripartite model [16] is frequently used as a theoretical framework.Media use is able to predict body dissatisfaction through two mediating variables,internalization of the thin-ideal[17-18]and appearance comparison [19-20].The results of these studies are consistent with the tripartite model.Conversely,the studies mentioned above demonstrate that the tripartite model has dominated this research field since its formation [21],allowing little room for consideration of other potential variables or functioning paths.In addition,research commonly revolves around the use of mass media;therefore,this gap in social media studies remains to be filled.

Social media and body dissatisfaction

Unlike traditional mass media,social media is rapid,versatile,and interactive,and it allows for the creating and sharing of user-generated messages in a multimedia environment.The positive association between social media use and adolescent girls’ body dissatisfaction has been demonstrated [22],and this leads to social media being read as a kind of extension of conventional media regarding the topic of body image [23].However,social media does not simply show conventional traits,and research has focused on these distinct characteristics.For instance,interactivity enables “fat talk,” which refers to conversations where women criticize their body shapes,on social networking platforms,and such conversations are associated with higher rates of body dissatisfaction and depression [24].Frequent exposure to the internet promoted by users’personalized self-expression is also related to weight dissatisfaction and a drive for thinness [25].Meanwhile,similar to mass media,it is appearance exposure rather than overall media use that correlates with higher internalization of the thin-ideal and body dissatisfaction [26].Generally,these studies have identified a connection between body image and social media use;however,this relatively new field of research is fragmented.

For studies focusing on the influence mechanism of social media,the tripartite model is still applicable.Social media use is found be positively related to body dissatisfaction,and the effect is mediated by internalization of the thin-ideal [27].However,neither the effect of peer appearance-related feedback on body dissatisfaction nor the indirect effect of social media use on body dissatisfaction through peer appearance-related feedback is significant,suggesting that there may be other mediating socio-cultural influences [28].Considering the authority of the tripartite model,it is likely that potential variables have been neglected in past research and require further scrutiny.

Although media use and body image are not a new field in China,there is relatively little work on this topic.Exposure to mass media is found to be significantly associated with body dissatisfaction among Chinese adolescents [29].Young Chinese women must deal with a unified beauty standard set as the target figure,and mass media play a complex role in forming women’s perceptions of beauty [30].As for the effect of social media,online appearance interaction is found to be significantly associated with body dissatisfaction among Chinese women,and this effect is partially mediated by body surveillance,which is also found to mediate the effect of appearance presentation on women’s body dissatisfaction in China[31].However,few qualitative studies have examined the influence mechanism of social media on body image concerns.Furthermore,most studies are concerned with adolescent girls,even though young adult women also suffer considerably from body image problems.Therefore,the following research question is asked:How does social media contribute to female college students’body dissatisfaction in China?

Methodology

The aim of this study is to clarify the impact of the influence mechanism of social media on female college students’ body dissatisfaction and to explore neglected factors.The adoption of a qualitative,in-depth interview method respects individuals’stories and experiences and values their subjectivity and particularity,in turn providing a detailed understanding of young women’s social media use and their perceptions of their body shape.Such an approach may compensate for the lack of qualitative research in the current field.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted from February to June 2021,with 25 female college students aged 18–23.Students came from Beijing,Shanghai,Wuhan,Wuxi,Taiyuan,Daqing,Qiqihar and other cities;these cities included firstthrough fourth-tier cities in China.These students were identified using a snowball sampling technique and were recruited through e-mails and WeChat.All participants were concerned with their weight and figures;however,students suffering from serious anxiety over their body shapes were excluded.Themes were categorized and conceptualized based on the content of interviews with female college students.Then,for the saturation test,the content of interviews from seven other students was dealt with in the same way to categorize and conceptualize the themes,and no new concepts arose,demonstrating that the sample size had been designed to achieve theoretical saturation[32].All of the students were assigned a pseudonym according to the alphabet(from A to Y).The data were then collected by conducting interviews of 40 to 60 minutes each.All participants volunteered and provided their informed consent prior to enrollment in this research.

Interview questions were written based on the literature review,and open-ended questions allowed answers that better capture personal experiences.The interview outline was divided into three parts:personal information,social media use behaviors,and media use and body image.Each participant’s answers to the guided questions (Table 1) were used to ask one or more questions to reveal the participants’complicated and individualized process of cognition,their understandings and expectations concerning body image,and the changes brought about by the use of social media.

Table 1 Example interview guided questions

The analytic process included open coding,creating categories,and abstraction.The themes obtained during this process were expected to reveal previously overlooked underlying factors effecting women’s body image in the context of social media.The themes were also expected to explain how social media use contributes to female college students’ body dissatisfaction.That is,this study sought to unravel the complicated relationship between female college students’ media use behaviors,relevant perceptions,and body dissatisfaction problems.The study may serve as a complement to previous studies,particularly in research fields dominated by the tripartite model.

Results

After the 25 female college students narrated their social media use experiences and their development of body dissatisfaction,three themes were identified;evidence of these themes is provided below.

Social media use and body dissatisfaction

According to the tripartite model,the media factor,which is one of the three socio-cultural factors,can predict body dissatisfaction,and the two mediating factors,internalization of the thin-ideal and appearance comparison,mediate the effect.The results indicate a positive association between social media use and participants’ body dissatisfaction,showing that the effectiveness of the tripartite model is not limited to the context of mass media.Meanwhile,three themes were identified that moderate the relationship between social media use and young women’s body dissatisfaction.

Theme 1:Internalization of the thin-ideal

Based on the theory of self-objectification,internalizing unrealistic media ideals involves taking an observer’s perspective as one’s own;this subsequently leads to body surveillance and feelings of body shame[33].Consistent with previous conclusions,participants tended to show growing discontent with their body shape and a drive for thinness when exposed to thin-ideals,which were omnipresent on social networking platforms.

“Young stars,both men and women,all have a beautifully slim figure every time they show up… To be honest,although there have been calls for people to appreciate different body shapes,people really only like slim people.Read netizens’comments and you can see that.I just want to look like them(young stars)”(K,22).

Participants were not ignorant of the fact that it is unrealistic for ordinary people to retain slim figures as young stars do;however,they still adopted such body standards and applied them to themselves.Moreover,views on the internet consistently strengthened their beliefs.It is suggested that,unlike traditional mass media ideals,the power of thin-ideals on social networking platforms is not confined to pictures or videos;rather,communication in the virtual community helps promote mutual awareness and the internalization of the thin-ideal.

Theme 2:Perceived discrepancy

Because the unrealistic thin-ideal is the body standard,participants’ self-assessment results tended to be unsatisfactory.Participants tended to perceive of a discrepancy between their actual body shapes and the thin-ideal,and this negatively influenced their body image.

“The actresses… they are unbelievably skinny and gorgeous.And I just feel like I will look nicer if I can drop a few pounds”(C,20).“Some super stars were jeered at by netizens simply because of their ‘stumpy legs’.You know,I can’t help feeling depressed since they are slender enough in my view”(S,19).

In addition,the sharing and interactive quality of social networking platforms further visualizes the implementation of such a body standard.People don’t just participate in figure-comparing activities on the internet;they forward and share their participation,which means the body standard they identify with and follow is made public.Activities like the collarbone challenge and the belly button challenge were popular on the Internet;for these challenges,people(especially young women) attempted to hold a stack of coins on their collarbones or touch their navels from behind their backs.They subsequently posted selfies to show off their slender figures.Participants were aware of at least one of these challenges,and most of them acknowledged that they had participated and failed.Since this gap is difficult to bridge,perceived discrepancy is repeatedly strengthened by such information-sharing activities.

Theme 3:Appearance comparison

Mass media’s effect on women’s dissatisfaction with their bodies through appearance comparison has been demonstrated [34].In this study,comparing one’s figure with those of others was also found to arouse participants’ body dissatisfaction,while social media use was associated with stronger tendencies towards engagement in social comparison.To be specific,peers as comparative objects outperformed other groups in making participants feel depressed.

“Maybe I am just jealous.People who you are close to make you feel a sense of inferiority easily”(H,22).Social media provide a multi-media platform for ordinary people to compare themselves with unrealistic body shapes and super stars.As for close peers,such comparison behaviors do not stop once people log offline.When social activities were switched from online to offline environments,participants often re-experienced similar comparisons,confirming the results and causing an even stronger sense of inferiority.“Pictures can be fake.Sometimes I tell myself that she must have modified her selfies,but then I see her in the flesh…It makes me feel like girls on the internet are lithe and graceful,and that I am the only one not like that”(R,20).

The virtual nature of social media was well-known to the participants,and the connections between the virtual and real worlds constructed by social media provided a channel for participants to “seek the truth”.When the truth differed from their expectations,their body-focused anxiety increased.

Discussion

As the section above indicates,there are three themes that moderate the relationship between social media use and female college students’ body dissatisfaction.Given the observed trends,it can be concluded that female college students are likely to suffer from body dissatisfaction due to the growing consumption of certain social media content.Implicit in this phenomenon is the higher social requirement for women to have slim figures.The thin-ideal promoted and diffused by social media sets a strict standard for women that inflicts in tense pressure on them.Consideration of underlying stress demonstrates that women are more vulnerable to internalization of the thin-ideal,perception of discrepancy,and appearance comparison;likewise,body dissatisfaction among women is associated with various physiological and psychological problems.

Additionally,the role of peers is worth considering.Compared to a large heterogeneous audience cultivated by conventional media,like-minded individuals gathered by social media resemble relationships among peers.Consequently,comparison with similar peers is enabled in this context,which will likely cause higher body dissatisfaction.

Finally,these three themes do not necessarily function independently.Internalization of the thin-ideal,perceived discrepancy and appearance comparison are not individual themes;they influence each other,and contribute to women’s cognition of their body shapes and body image together.The relationship of these three themes is intricate and complicated,which requires future studying.

Conclusion

According to the tripartite model,peers,parents,and media contribute to the development of body dissatisfaction,and media use is correlated with body dissatisfaction through the internalization of the thin-ideal and appearance comparison.The findings of this study indicate that female college students’ body dissatisfaction is influenced by social media use,which supports previous research and the tripartite model.In addition,internalization of the thin-ideal and appearance comparison function as moderating factors.Apart from these two traditional variables,perceived discrepancy also contributes significantly to the influence mechanism,further strengthening the evidence linking social media and body image problems in new media environments.

This study analyzed the way social media contributes to female college students’ formation of body image while focusing on three variables;as such,this study constituted a novel approach to this subject both theoretically and practically.However,the fact that participants were limited to college students who were concerned about their body figures may affect the findings.Future research should involve a more extensive investigation incorporating young women from all walks of life,and comparisons with women showing less interest in their figures or weight should also be considered.In addition,a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods should be utilized in future studies to obtain clear results.