Power Of "Likes":the Effect Of Selfie "Likes" On College Students’ Body Image

Negative body image,and the subsequent anxiety about one’s appearance,become public health issues of concern as taking and sharing selfies become ever more popular.This multimethod study examined the effects of selfie “likes” on body image(facial dissatisfaction and the desire to undergo cosmetic surgery)among Chinese college students.The mediating role of self-esteem and the chain intermediary role of selfesteem and facial dissatisfaction in the relationship between “likes” and the desire to undergo cosmetic surgery were explored.Study 1 and Study 2 used quantitative methods to examine the long-term and immediate effects of “likes” on college students’ body image,considering the duality of body image and self-esteem as both trait and state.Study 3 used qualitative method to explore college students’ understanding and attitudes toward “likes”,to interpret and complement quantitative findings.Study 1 examined the relationship between selfie “likes” and body image at the trait level using questionnaires.The results showed that,regardless of social media platform type(i.e.,those with predominantly offline acquaintance or those with predominantly strangers),the average number of “likes” participants received on social media for their selfies did not significantly relate to their body image.Besides,the simple mediating effect of trait self-esteem,and the chain mediating effect of trait selfesteem and facial dissatisfaction were insignificant.Therefore,selfie “likes” was not significantly related to trait-level body image among college students.Study 2 examined the effect of selfie “likes” on state-level body image using experiments.By adapting social media ostracism paradigm,participants received a lot of “likes” or only few “likes” a selfie they posted on a fake “social media” in the lab.The results showed that,controlling for BMI,pre-state self-esteem,pre-facial dissatisfaction,and pre-desire to undergo cosmetic surgery,those who received more“likes” reported lower post-desire to undergo cosmetic surgery directly,but expressed lower facial dissatisfaction through the indirect influence of state self-esteem.The chain mediation of state self-esteem and facial dissatisfaction was not significant.Therefore,selfie “likes” had a significant effect on status-level body image among college students.Study 3 explored college students’ motives for posting selfies,their understanding of “likes”,their attitudes toward “likes”,and the effects of “likes” on their body image,through 11 one-to-one semi-structured interviews.The results showed that college students generally agreed that “likes” represent social approval,and seeking attention and approval was their main motive for sharing selfies.The finding that the number of selfie “likes” was not related to trait-level body image might be attributable to the short attention to selfie “likes”,individual variances in self-confidence,the recognition of diversity reasons for clicking “likes”,and the conscious distinction between the real self and online self-image.In summary,this multimethod study showed that selfie “likes” may be a temporary relief for college students from their negative body image.Specifically,receiving more“likes” may directly reduce state desire to undergo cosmetic surgery,but it may indirectly reduce state facial dissatisfaction through increased state self-esteem.Conceptually,these findings provide new perspectives for understanding factors related to young people’s body image(especially the desire to undergo cosmetic surgery),and emphasize the dual attributes of self-esteem and body image as trait and state.In addition,these findings provide practical insights for guiding college students to understand social media feedback comprehensively,to amicably engage with social media,and to establish and maintain a healthy concept of “beauty”.