Photo Activity on Social Networking Sites and Body Dissatisfaction: The Roles of Thin-Ideal Internalization and Body Appreciation
Objective: According to sociocultural theory, media is associated with detrimental effects on body image. Due to the popularity of social networking sites (SNS) and the prevalence of body image disturbance among young women, the association between them is worth further exploration. This study exami...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Behavioral Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/12/8/280 |
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| author | Changying Duan Shuailei Lian Li Yu Gengfeng Niu Xiaojun Sun |
| author_facet | Changying Duan Shuailei Lian Li Yu Gengfeng Niu Xiaojun Sun |
| author_sort | Changying Duan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective: According to sociocultural theory, media is associated with detrimental effects on body image. Due to the popularity of social networking sites (SNS) and the prevalence of body image disturbance among young women, the association between them is worth further exploration. This study examined the relationship between photo activity on SNS and body dissatisfaction (BD) and the roles of thin-ideal internalization (TII) and body appreciation (BA) in this relation. Materials and Methods: A total of 746 Chinese female undergraduate students (mean age 20.34 ± 1.47 years) completed a questionnaire measuring SNS photo activity, TII, BD, and BA. Results: (1) Photo activity on SNS was positively associated with BD (<i>r</i> = 0.10, <i>p</i> < 0.01), and TII could mediate this relation (<i>β</i> = 0.07, 95% CI = [0.04, 0.10]). (2) Both the direct effect of SNS photo activity on BD (<i>β</i> = −0.08, <i>p</i> < 0.05) and the mediating effect of TII (<i>β</i> = −0.09, <i>p</i> < 0.01) were moderated by BA. Specifically, these associations were more pronounced for students with lower BA. Conclusion: People exposed to ideal photos or images can shape women’s body image perception via TII, whether in the age of traditional media or the Internet, and BA did not buffer the effect of ideal photos on internalization. Our findings could provide practical suggestions for rational photo activity on SNS and the intervention for BD. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:01:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2566684fc28d432987dc423b896f5dbd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-328X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:01:12Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Behavioral Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-2566684fc28d432987dc423b896f5dbd2023-12-01T23:25:47ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2022-08-0112828010.3390/bs12080280Photo Activity on Social Networking Sites and Body Dissatisfaction: The Roles of Thin-Ideal Internalization and Body AppreciationChangying Duan0Shuailei Lian1Li Yu2Gengfeng Niu3Xiaojun Sun4Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430079, ChinaCollege of Education and Sport Sciences, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, ChinaSchool of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, ChinaKey Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430079, ChinaKey Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430079, ChinaObjective: According to sociocultural theory, media is associated with detrimental effects on body image. Due to the popularity of social networking sites (SNS) and the prevalence of body image disturbance among young women, the association between them is worth further exploration. This study examined the relationship between photo activity on SNS and body dissatisfaction (BD) and the roles of thin-ideal internalization (TII) and body appreciation (BA) in this relation. Materials and Methods: A total of 746 Chinese female undergraduate students (mean age 20.34 ± 1.47 years) completed a questionnaire measuring SNS photo activity, TII, BD, and BA. Results: (1) Photo activity on SNS was positively associated with BD (<i>r</i> = 0.10, <i>p</i> < 0.01), and TII could mediate this relation (<i>β</i> = 0.07, 95% CI = [0.04, 0.10]). (2) Both the direct effect of SNS photo activity on BD (<i>β</i> = −0.08, <i>p</i> < 0.05) and the mediating effect of TII (<i>β</i> = −0.09, <i>p</i> < 0.01) were moderated by BA. Specifically, these associations were more pronounced for students with lower BA. Conclusion: People exposed to ideal photos or images can shape women’s body image perception via TII, whether in the age of traditional media or the Internet, and BA did not buffer the effect of ideal photos on internalization. Our findings could provide practical suggestions for rational photo activity on SNS and the intervention for BD.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/12/8/280photo activity on SNSthin-ideal internalizationbody appreciationbody dissatisfactionsociocultural theory |
| spellingShingle | Changying Duan Shuailei Lian Li Yu Gengfeng Niu Xiaojun Sun Photo Activity on Social Networking Sites and Body Dissatisfaction: The Roles of Thin-Ideal Internalization and Body Appreciation Behavioral Sciences photo activity on SNS thin-ideal internalization body appreciation body dissatisfaction sociocultural theory |
| title | Photo Activity on Social Networking Sites and Body Dissatisfaction: The Roles of Thin-Ideal Internalization and Body Appreciation |
| title_full | Photo Activity on Social Networking Sites and Body Dissatisfaction: The Roles of Thin-Ideal Internalization and Body Appreciation |
| title_fullStr | Photo Activity on Social Networking Sites and Body Dissatisfaction: The Roles of Thin-Ideal Internalization and Body Appreciation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Photo Activity on Social Networking Sites and Body Dissatisfaction: The Roles of Thin-Ideal Internalization and Body Appreciation |
| title_short | Photo Activity on Social Networking Sites and Body Dissatisfaction: The Roles of Thin-Ideal Internalization and Body Appreciation |
| title_sort | photo activity on social networking sites and body dissatisfaction the roles of thin ideal internalization and body appreciation |
| topic | photo activity on SNS thin-ideal internalization body appreciation body dissatisfaction sociocultural theory |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/12/8/280 |
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