TY - JOUR
T1 - Social media is not real life
T2 - the effect of attaching disclaimer-type labels to idealized social media images on women’s body image and mood
AU - Fardouly, Jasmine
AU - Holland, Elise
PY - 2018/11/1
Y1 - 2018/11/1
N2 - This online experimental study examined the impact of viewing disclaimer comments attached to idealized social media images on 18-25 year old American women’s (N = 164) body dissatisfaction, mood, and perceptions of the target. Furthermore, this study also tested whether thin ideal internalization or appearance comparisons tendency moderated any effect. Viewing idealized images taken from social media had a negative influence on women’s body image, with or without the presence of disclaimers. Disclaimer comments also had no impact on women’s mood. They did, however, impact perceptions of the target, with women forming a less positive impression of the target if she attached disclaimer comments to her social media images. Thus, the results of this study suggest that the use of disclaimer comments or labels on social media may be ineffective at reducing women’s body dissatisfaction.
AB - This online experimental study examined the impact of viewing disclaimer comments attached to idealized social media images on 18-25 year old American women’s (N = 164) body dissatisfaction, mood, and perceptions of the target. Furthermore, this study also tested whether thin ideal internalization or appearance comparisons tendency moderated any effect. Viewing idealized images taken from social media had a negative influence on women’s body image, with or without the presence of disclaimers. Disclaimer comments also had no impact on women’s mood. They did, however, impact perceptions of the target, with women forming a less positive impression of the target if she attached disclaimer comments to her social media images. Thus, the results of this study suggest that the use of disclaimer comments or labels on social media may be ineffective at reducing women’s body dissatisfaction.
KW - body image
KW - disclaimer labels
KW - impression formation
KW - social media
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85055123501&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1461444818771083
DO - 10.1177/1461444818771083
M3 - Article
SN - 1461-4448
VL - 20
SP - 4311
EP - 4328
JO - New Media and Society
JF - New Media and Society
IS - 11
ER -