Social Media and Body Image Concerns: Current Research and Future Directions

Jasmine Fardouly*, Lenny R. Vartanian

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

440 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of research on social media and body image. Correlational studies consistently show that social media usage (particularly Facebook) is associated with body image concerns among young women and men, and longitudinal studies suggest that this association may strengthen over time. Furthermore, appearance comparisons play a role in the relationship between social media and body image. Experimental studies, however, suggest that brief exposure to one's own Facebook account does not negatively impact young women's appearance concerns. Further longitudinal and experimental research is needed to determine which aspects of social media are most detrimental to people's body image concerns. Research is also needed on more diverse samples as well as other social media platforms (e.g., Instagram).

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-5
Number of pages5
JournalCurrent Opinion in Psychology
Volume9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2016
Externally publishedYes

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Social Media and Body Image Concerns: Current Research and Future Directions'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this