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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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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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