The DOI matches its Crossref record; 56 of the 56 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Social media and body image: Recent trends and future directions
Open accessAbstract
This review presents recent trends in social media and body image research, with a particular focus on different social media platforms, features unique to social media, and potentially positive content for body image. First, it was found that visual platforms (e.g. Instagram) were more dysfunctional for body image than more textual platforms (e.g. Facebook). Second, taking and editing (but not posting) selfies resulted in negative effects on body image. Positive comments intensified the effects of exposure to idealized content. Third, of the forms of potentially positive content examined in recent research (i.e. fitspiration, disclaimer labels, and body positivity), only body positivity content had a positive effect on body image. Recommendations for future research are offered.
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“This trend is particularly pronounced among adolescents and young adults, who comprise a substantial segment of social media users and are at a pivotal stage in the development of their self-identity and body image [3,4,5,6].”
From Body Perceptions and Psychological Well-Being: A Review of the Impact of Social Media and Physical Measurements on Self-Esteem and Mental Health with a Focus on Body Image Satisfaction and Its Relationship with Cultural and Gender Factors (2024) · cites this paper as [5]
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“Empirical studies reveal a complex relationship between social media engagement and body image concerns, demonstrating that higher levels of social media interaction are associated with increased body dissatisfaction, reduced self-esteem, and heightened anxiety about physical appearance.”
From Body Perceptions and Psychological Well-Being: A Review of the Impact of Social Media and Physical Measurements on Self-Esteem and Mental Health with a Focus on Body Image Satisfaction and Its Relationship with Cultural and Gender Factors (2024) · cites this paper as [5]
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“Although research has shown that boys and girls use social media differently, such as girls using more photo-based platforms and taking and editing more selfies than boys, research generally hints that the links between appearance-based social media use and body image are similar in these groups (Vandenbosch et al., 2022).”
From Navigating Beauty Standards on Social Media: Impact of Appearance Activity on Adolescents’ Body Dissatisfaction (2025) · cites this paper as Vandenbosch et al., 2022
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“Notably, the consequences of appearance-focused social media engagement for body image extend beyond this dichotomy, varying based on the type of content (e.g., selfies, favorable comments) and the form of engagement (e.g., editing, posting) (Vandenbosch et al., 2022).”
From Navigating Beauty Standards on Social Media: Impact of Appearance Activity on Adolescents’ Body Dissatisfaction (2025) · cites this paper as Vandenbosch et al., 2022
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“This incessant exposure does not merely alter self-perceptions but also skews the understanding of what is normal or achievable [5,6].”
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Cites
Objectification Theory: Toward Understanding Women's Lived Experiences and Mental Health Risks
Fredrickson, B. L., & Roberts, T.-A. (1997) · Psychology of Women Quarterly · doi:10.1111/j.1471-6402.1997.tb00108.x · Cited by 5,531
Objectification Theory and Psychology of Women: A Decade of Advances and Future Directions
Moradi, B., & Huang, Y.-P. (2008) · Psychology of Women Quarterly · doi:10.1111/j.1471-6402.2008.00452.x · Cited by 1,071
Perloff, R. M. (2014) · Sex Roles · doi:10.1007/s11199-014-0384-6 · Cited by 913
Social Media and Body Image Concerns: Current Research and Future Directions
Fardouly, J., & Vartanian, L. R. (2016) · Current Opinion in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.09.005 · Cited by 801
Self-citationA meta-analytic review of the relationship between social media use and body image disturbance
Saiphoo, A. N., & Vahedi, Z. (2019) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2019.07.028 · Cited by 539
#bodypositivity: A Content Analysis of Body Positive Accounts on Instagram
Cohen, R., Irwin, L., Newton-John, T., & Slater, A. (2019) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2019.02.007 · Cited by 401
Cohen, R., Fardouly, J., Newton-John, T., & Slater, A. (2019) · New Media & Society · doi:10.1177/1461444819826530 · Cited by 381
Self-citationTiggemann, M., & Anderberg, I. (2020) · New Media & Society · doi:10.1177/1461444819888720 · Cited by 326
Self-citation“Fitspiration” on social media: a content analysis of gendered images
Carrotte, E. R., Prichard, I., & Lim, M. S. C. (2017) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/jmir.6368 · Cited by 278
The relationship between social media use and disordered eating in young adolescents.
Wilksch, S. M., O'Shea, A., Ho, P., Byrne, S., & Wade, T. D. (2020) · International Journal of Eating Disorders · doi:10.1002/eat.23198 · Cited by 267
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 401–402 of 402
Mason, L., Yarmey, V., Li, S., Muzamil, M., Kumar, S., Linardon, J., Sherry, S., Lacroix, É., Mills, J. S., Keshen, A., et al. (2026) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2026.102211
Factors Associated with Appearance-based Social Comparison in Brazilian College Women
Martins, R., Gonzaga, I., Bim, M. A., Claumann, G. S., & Pelegrini, A. (2026) · Actualidades en Psicología · doi:10.15517/p.v40i141.61958
Metadata
- Authors
- Vandenbosch, L., Fardouly, J., & Tiggemann, M.
- Affiliations
- KU Leuven (BE)
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- Flinders University (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Vandenbosch, Laura
- Venue
- Current Opinion in Psychology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2022-06
- Volume
- 45
- Pages
- 101289
- ISSN
- 2352-250X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4200364418
- Cited by
- 403
- References
- 54
- Citations by year
- 2026: 90 · 2025: 112 · 2024: 101 · 2023: 72 · 2022: 27
- FWCI
- 6.67
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- lirias.kuleuven.be
- Licence
- Locations
- Current Opinion in Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Lirias (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Body Image and Dysmorphia Studies
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Keywords
- social media, body image, Instagram, Facebook, selfies, self-editing, fitspiration, body positivity
- MeSH terms
- Body Image, Humans, Social Media
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