The Influence Of Social Media Use And Body Image Self-Discrepancy On Body Appreciation

Body appreciation is the positive attitude toward evaluation of the body,while also rejecting media-promoted appearance ideals as the only form of human beauty.According to research,the detrimental impacts of the stereotyped ideal appearance of "thinness as beauty" can be offset by a high level of body appreciation.The current population is generally dissatisfied with and anxious about body image for a variety of reasons,and they generally have low levels of body appreciation.As one of the primary factors influencing body appreciation,social media has an especially strong influence on teenagers.Most previous research has focused on the frequency and intensity of social media use without distinguishing between forms of social media use(active and passive use).Few research has thoroughly investigated self-evaluation indicators and behavioral indicators of body appreciation,failing to reach an agreement regarding the impact of social media use on body appreciation.According to the self-discrepancy theory,differences between the true and ideal selves might cause negative psychological conditions.Previous research has shown that body image self-discrepancy is a crucial factor in the genesis of body image-related behavior and mental maladjustment.On the one hand,not everyone with high self-discrepancy necessarily experiences the negative effects of self-discrepancy.On the other hand,few research has been done to ascertain whether there are differences in the effects of body image self-discrepancy levels on body appreciation and whether there are differences in the effects of social media use on body appreciation between those with different levels of body image self-discrepancy.To sum up,the present study investigates the effects of social media use(active use/passive use)and body image self-discrepancy on body appreciation based on self-discrepancy theory.Study 1 used a 2(social media use: passive use/active use)× 2(body image self-discrepancy: high/low)between subject experimental design.Body appreciation is evaluated using both self-evaluation indicators(states of body satisfaction and state body appreciation)and behavioral indicators(selfie editing).The impact of social media comments made by people with various levels of body image self-discrepancy on body appreciation is initially investigated.The results indicate that there is no significant difference between the effects of passive and active social media use on body appreciation;compared to individuals who have low body image self-discrepancy,those with high body image self-differences have lower levels of body appreciation;Social media use and body image Self-discrepancy only had an interactive effect on self-reported state body appreciation;that is,when participants with high body image self-discrepancy were just active on social media and posted comments,their self-reported state body appreciation scores had increased,but the state body satisfaction level had not improved and the level of selfie editing had not decreased.Study 2 used a 2(active social media use: positive comments/non-positive comments)× 2(body image self-discrepancy: high/low)between subject experimental design.In order to examine the impact of positive/negative comments on social media on body appreciation for those with body image self-discrepancy,active social media use was further differentiated from attitudinal inclinations in terms of comment content responses.The results indicate that: participants who posted positive social media comments rated their state body appreciation higher than those who posted negative comments,and they edited fewer selfies than those who posted negative comments;participants with high body image self-discrepancy had lower levels of body appreciation;there was an interaction between active social media use and body image self-discrepancy in state body appreciation and selfie editing,that is,those individuals with high body image self-discrepancy who post positive comments on social media increased state body appreciation and decreased selfie editing,but did not increase state body satisfaction levels.In summary,the present study reached the following conclusions:(1)social media use does not directly affect body appreciation,and only positive comments on social media can increase body appreciation;(2)body image self-discrepancy reduces body appreciation,that is,individuals with higher body image self-discrepancy have lower body appreciation;(3)active social media use and body image self-discrepancy interacted;that is,for individuals with high body image self-discrepancy,posting positive comments on social media can increase state body appreciation in two aspects:self-perception and behavioral performance,but state body satisfaction,which reflects on their emotional state,was not changed.This study clarifies the effect of social media use on body image and the effects of positive and active social media use on enhancing body appreciation,providing empirical evidence to alleviate people’s body image anxiety,shape a positive body image,and promote physical and mental health.