1. Relationship Between Instagram, Body Satisfaction, and Self-Esteem in Early Adulthood.
- Author
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Flores Mata, Cristina and Castellano-Tejedor, Carmina
- Subjects
SOCIAL media ,SELF-evaluation ,CROSS-sectional method ,SELF-esteem testing ,DATA analysis ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,STATISTICAL sampling ,KRUSKAL-Wallis Test ,JUDGMENT sampling ,MANN Whitney U Test ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,STATISTICS ,ANALYSIS of variance ,DATA analysis software ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,SELF-perception - Abstract
Background/Objectives: This study aimed to explore the effects of Instagram use on body satisfaction and self-esteem in young adults 20 to 40 years (N = 95). Given the widespread use of social media and its potential influence on body image, we sought to understand how Instagram use may contribute to body dissatisfaction and self-esteem, particularly through quantitative analysis of self-report measures. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design in which the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ), and additional ad hoc questions designed to assess Instagram usage patterns were employed. Results: The results indicated that greater Instagram use is associated with increased body dissatisfaction (p = 0.005), although it did not significantly affect self-esteem (p = 0.211). Gender did not play a significant role in these relationships (p = 0.173). Notably, a significant positive correlation was found between body satisfaction and self-esteem, showing that individuals with higher body satisfaction also reported higher self-esteem (p < 0.001). Further analyses indicated that users exposed to appearance-centered content were more likely to report body dissatisfaction. Conclusions: These findings suggest that Instagram usage, particularly in the context of appearance-focused content, has a considerable impact on body dissatisfaction among young adults but does not appear to influence self-esteem. This highlights the importance of developing interventions focused on promoting healthy social media habits and critical content engagement to mitigate negative impacts on body image. Social media exposure should be a key component in future interventions designed to improve body image and overall psychological well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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