Social Media Use and Body Image Disorders: Association between Frequency of Comparing One’s Own Physical Appearance to That of People Being Followed on Social Media and Body Dissatisfaction and Drive for Thinness
(1) Summary: Many studies have evaluated the association between traditional media exposure and the presence of body dissatisfaction and body image disorders. The last decade has borne witness to the rise of social media, predominantly used by teenagers and young adults. This study’s main objective...
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doaj-4473b0661b984b6d81c399d5bfaf30a02021-03-12T00:05:26ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health1661-78271660-46012021-03-01182880288010.3390/ijerph18062880Social Media Use and Body Image Disorders: Association between Frequency of Comparing One’s Own Physical Appearance to That of People Being Followed on Social Media and Body Dissatisfaction and Drive for ThinnessBarbara Jiotsa0Benjamin Naccache1Mélanie Duval2Bruno Rocher3Marie Grall-Bronnec4Addictology and Liaison Psychiatry Department, Nantes University Hospital, 44000 Nantes, FranceAddictology and Liaison Psychiatry Department, Nantes University Hospital, 44000 Nantes, FrancePublic Health Department, Nantes University Hospital, 44000 Nantes, FranceAddictology and Liaison Psychiatry Department, Nantes University Hospital, 44000 Nantes, FranceAddictology and Liaison Psychiatry Department, Nantes University Hospital, 44000 Nantes, France(1) Summary: Many studies have evaluated the association between traditional media exposure and the presence of body dissatisfaction and body image disorders. The last decade has borne witness to the rise of social media, predominantly used by teenagers and young adults. This study’s main objective was to investigate the association between how often one compares their physical appearance to that of the people they follow on social media, and one’s body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness.<b> </b>(2) Method: A sample composed of 1331 subjects aged 15 to 35 (mean age = 24.2), including 1138 subjects recruited from the general population and 193 patients suffering from eating disorders, completed an online questionnaire assessing social media use (followed accounts, selfies posted, image comparison frequency). This questionnaire incorporated two items originating from the Eating Disorder Inventory Scale (Body Dissatisfaction: EDI-BD and Drive for Thinness: EDI-DT). (3) Results: We found an association between the frequency of comparing one’s own physical appearance to that of people followed on social media and body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness. Interestingly, the level of education was a confounding factor in this relationship, while BMI was not. (4) Discussion: The widespread use of social media in teenagers and young adults could increase body dissatisfaction as well as their drive for thinness, therefore rendering them more vulnerable to eating disorders. We should consequently take this social evolution into account, including it in general population prevention programs and in patients’ specific treatment plans.https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/6/2880body image disordersteenagerssocial mediaeating disordersselfiessocial comparisons |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Barbara Jiotsa Benjamin Naccache Mélanie Duval Bruno Rocher Marie Grall-Bronnec |
spellingShingle |
Barbara Jiotsa Benjamin Naccache Mélanie Duval Bruno Rocher Marie Grall-Bronnec Social Media Use and Body Image Disorders: Association between Frequency of Comparing One’s Own Physical Appearance to That of People Being Followed on Social Media and Body Dissatisfaction and Drive for Thinness International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health body image disorders teenagers social media eating disorders selfies social comparisons |
author_facet |
Barbara Jiotsa Benjamin Naccache Mélanie Duval Bruno Rocher Marie Grall-Bronnec |
author_sort |
Barbara Jiotsa |
title |
Social Media Use and Body Image Disorders: Association between Frequency of Comparing One’s Own Physical Appearance to That of People Being Followed on Social Media and Body Dissatisfaction and Drive for Thinness |
title_short |
Social Media Use and Body Image Disorders: Association between Frequency of Comparing One’s Own Physical Appearance to That of People Being Followed on Social Media and Body Dissatisfaction and Drive for Thinness |
title_full |
Social Media Use and Body Image Disorders: Association between Frequency of Comparing One’s Own Physical Appearance to That of People Being Followed on Social Media and Body Dissatisfaction and Drive for Thinness |
title_fullStr |
Social Media Use and Body Image Disorders: Association between Frequency of Comparing One’s Own Physical Appearance to That of People Being Followed on Social Media and Body Dissatisfaction and Drive for Thinness |
title_full_unstemmed |
Social Media Use and Body Image Disorders: Association between Frequency of Comparing One’s Own Physical Appearance to That of People Being Followed on Social Media and Body Dissatisfaction and Drive for Thinness |
title_sort |
social media use and body image disorders: association between frequency of comparing one’s own physical appearance to that of people being followed on social media and body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
issn |
1661-7827 1660-4601 |
publishDate |
2021-03-01 |
description |
(1) Summary: Many studies have evaluated the association between traditional media exposure and the presence of body dissatisfaction and body image disorders. The last decade has borne witness to the rise of social media, predominantly used by teenagers and young adults. This study’s main objective was to investigate the association between how often one compares their physical appearance to that of the people they follow on social media, and one’s body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness.<b> </b>(2) Method: A sample composed of 1331 subjects aged 15 to 35 (mean age = 24.2), including 1138 subjects recruited from the general population and 193 patients suffering from eating disorders, completed an online questionnaire assessing social media use (followed accounts, selfies posted, image comparison frequency). This questionnaire incorporated two items originating from the Eating Disorder Inventory Scale (Body Dissatisfaction: EDI-BD and Drive for Thinness: EDI-DT). (3) Results: We found an association between the frequency of comparing one’s own physical appearance to that of people followed on social media and body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness. Interestingly, the level of education was a confounding factor in this relationship, while BMI was not. (4) Discussion: The widespread use of social media in teenagers and young adults could increase body dissatisfaction as well as their drive for thinness, therefore rendering them more vulnerable to eating disorders. We should consequently take this social evolution into account, including it in general population prevention programs and in patients’ specific treatment plans. |
topic |
body image disorders teenagers social media eating disorders selfies social comparisons |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/6/2880 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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