Instagram’s Fitspiration and It’s Not So Inspirational

Effect on Women

Isabella Lozano

COM 201: Introduction to Communication

December 19, 2019

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Jen Selter, a 26-year-old, has 12.8 million followers on Instagram (Selter, n.d.). Selter

became popular after creating an Instagram account to motivate others to work out. She now has

her own protein snack named Jenstabar and a hashtag, #seltering, for women to post their fitness

results (Selter, n.d.). Selter is one of the top fitness influencers on Instagram and one of many

who participate in the “fitspiration” trend. Fitspiration is a popular movement in social media

that has emerged in the last few years. This trend aims to inspire people to work out and live a

healthy lifestyle. Fitspiration is especially popular on Instagram because of its photo-based

platform. This makes it easy for fitspiration account owners to display their fit and thin figure to

motivate others to achieve the same. While the intention is to be inspirational, Instagram’s

fitspiration movement can negatively affect women’s self-perception as women compare

themselves to the ideal body image that fitspiration presents. In this paper, I will assess various

studies showing the effects of social media, Instagram, and fitspiration. Then I will analyze

Instagram’s fitspiration through the lens of the social comparison theory, focusing mainly on

upward comparison with fitspiration content.

Literature Review

Overview of Fitspiration

“Fitspiration” is a combination of the words “fitness” and “inspiration.” It is images and

messages on social media that intend to motivate others to exercise, eat healthily, and attain a

change in their physical appearance (Fardouly, Willburger, Vartanian, 2017). This type of

content is popular on Instagram because it is a photo-based platform where users can connect

and form communities with other users. Fitspiration is prominent on Instagram as celebrities,

athletes, and influencers participate in spreading these messages. The images posted as

fitspiration primarily are pictures of the body, as the account owners aim to show the results of
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their healthy, active lifestyle. Other images may include videos of the account owners working

out and eating. These images are usually accompanied by an inspirational caption telling other

users they need to put in the work to see results, along with the hashtag, #fitspo or #fitspiration,

to connect their post to the fitspiration community. While both men and women, as users of

Instagram, can view these fitspiration messages, young women are the largest consumers of

these images (Fardouly, 2017). Also, Instagram as a platform is predominantly “popular among

young women who report spending 30 minutes per day” on it (Fardouly 2017, p. 1381). Not only

are women more likely than men to seek out this type of content, but women are also the broader

audience base of Instagram as a whole.

Impact on Women

Looking at Instagram use in general, Mackson, Brochu, and Schneider (2019) organized

a study to look at how Instagram, as a social media platform, impacts people’s psychological

well-being. The results showed that Instagram users had lower levels of anxiety, depression, and

loneliness, and higher levels of self-esteem compared to non-users (Mackson, 2019). These

psychological outcomes are a product of the ability to receive positive feedback and social

support from other Instagram users (Mackson, 2019, p. 2174). The nature of each individuals’

Instagram environment will uniquely affect each user, with users that follow more celebrities and

other strangers being more inclined to have body image concerns (Mackson, 2019). In the second

part of the study, the authors examine the causes of “Instagram users’ reports of anxiety and

depression” (Mackson, 2019, p. 2160). The findings show that Instagram anxiety, anxiety from

using the application, was connected to depression and general anxiety (Mackson, 2019).

Additionally, as a result of using Instagram, social comparison was linked to depression

(Mackson, 2019). Overall, Instagram’s effects depend on how it is used. The application can
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have positive effects, but negative impacts may develop, leading to more significant effects

psychologically.

Jasmine Fardouly (2017) conducted a study to explore the correlation between

“Instagram use and body image concerns and self-objectification” among young women

(Fardouly, 2017, p. 1380). When looking more specifically at the effect of fitspiration content on

Instagram, the results showed that viewing these images were connected with “higher body

dissatisfaction and a greater drive for thinness” (Fardouly, 2017, p. 1390). The relationship

between fitspiration images and body image concerns was caused by the “internalization of the

beauty ideal, appearance comparison tendency in general, and appearance comparisons to

women” in the images (Fardouly, 2017, p. 1391). The results of this study show that Instagram

overall, as well as fitspiration content, has negative impacts on women’s body image. This

negative effect is mainly prominent if a woman tends to compare herself to others.

Strangers vs. Friends

The effects of viewing fitspiration content on Instagram differ depending on the viewers’

relationship with the account owners. Posts on Instagram are either from a stranger or a friend.

Regarding strangers’ posts, Vries, Möller, Wieringa, Eigenraam, and Hamelink (2018) carried

out an experiment that looked at the effects of looking at strangers’ positive posts on Instagram

(Vries, 2017, p. 222). Participants viewed strangers’ posts that were positive, negative, and

neutral. The results revealed that individuals who are more likely to compare themselves to

others experienced a “lower positive effect” from looking at the positive posts compared to

viewing the neutral and negative posts (Vries, 2017, p. 222). This contrasted from the individuals

who do not tend to compare themselves as they experienced increased positivity from the

positive posts. Overall, viewing strangers’ posts on Instagram has adverse effects “when
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individuals tend to compare themselves” (Vries, 2017, p. 240). This study implies that strangers’

fitspiration posts, with their positive intentions, may have negative effects on women who often

compare themselves.

Focusing on friends’ posts, Arroyo and Brunner (2016) directed a survey to investigate

whether social media sites are used to spread “sociocultural influences regarding body image”

(Arroyo, 2016, p. 216). The survey revealed that individuals whose friends posted more fitness

posts on social media experienced higher levels of body dissatisfaction and negative body talk,

where individuals made negative comments about their body or appearance (Arroyo, 2016). The

effects were worse when the individuals were more likely to compare themselves to others

(Arroyo, 2016). Despite the negative impacts of these fitness posts being relatively small, the

effects can build up, making the long-term consequences worse. The tendency for viewers to use

negative body talk and negatively perceive themselves contradicts the intended positivity of

fitspiration posts (Arroyo, 2016).

Development of Eating Disorders

As a result of viewing fitspiration images and other media that presents an ideal body

image, negative results may develop. One development that could emerge among women

viewing these Instagram images is an eating disorder. This is evidenced by Harrison, Taylor, and

Markse (2006), who studied how people changed their eating after viewing depictions of the

ideal body image in media. The results of this study showed that women with high “discrepancy

between perceptions of their actual body and the body their same-gender peers believe they

[should] have,” restricted their eating after viewing ideal body image media (Harrison, 2006, p.

507). Meanwhile, the men responded to the ideal body image media by eating more (Harrison,

2006). The outcomes were the opposite for men and women because women tend to be more
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sensitive to ideal body imagery. The media presents more images of women about their gender

roles and ideals, making it more likely for women to “immediately associate” ideal body images

of other women in the media with dieting (Harrison, 2006).

Theoretical Framework

The social comparison theory explains how people evaluate themselves and compare

themselves to other people in an effort to advance their understanding of their identity (Jackson,

Hogg 2019). This theory, initially a social psychology theory, has become increasingly

interdisciplinary. Leon Festinger developed this theory in 1954 as he formed connections

between self-knowledge and social knowledge (Jackson 2019). Festinger looked at how

individuals “socially evaluated their opinions and abilities” compared to people whom they

perceived to be similar to themselves (Jackson, 2019, p. 2). Individuals tend to compare

themselves with the desire to succeed and fit in. The effects of this comparison can either be

positive or negative depending on how much control the individual has over the aspect they want

to change and whether it is achievable. Individuals may engage in two types of comparison:

downward or upward comparison. Downward comparison is when people compare themselves to

those worse off than they are. This type of comparison is used to boost self-esteem. In contrast,

an upward comparison occurs when the individual being compared to is better off and possesses

an optimal characteristic. (Jackson, 2019). When looking for ways to achieve similar results to

those better off, if not achievable, negative results may occur from envy and self-pity.

Consequently, an upward comparison is more likely to have damaging effects on women.

Analysis

The Problem
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When pinpointing the root of negative effects that result from fitspiration content, the

problem is not Instagram itself but rather how women utilize Instagram. The studies by Mackson

et al. (2019), Fardouly (2017), Vries et al. (2017), and Arroyo et al. (2016), all indicate that the

negative effects of Instagram and fitspiration are most harmful when users tend to compare

themselves to others. The social comparison theory supports women’s inclination to compare

themselves. It is human nature for a person to compare themselves to other people as a way of

forming one’s own identity. Still, the effects of social comparison are contingent on the

individual. If a woman is content with her body and lifestyle, she is less likely to scroll through

Instagram while comparing herself to other users. The possibility of positive psychological

impacts is evident in Mackson et al.’s (2019) study, where some women used Instagram to

interact with support systems and receive positive feedback.

On the other hand, a woman who has low self-esteem and is generally inclined to

compare herself to others will similarly compare herself to other Instagram users who possess

characteristics she perceives as optimal. This may cause increased body dissatisfaction and the

desire to change. Overall, women generally have been socialized to place importance on their

appearance and fit into the feminine gender roles. This pressure is reinforced by the media,

which is constantly displaying the ideal body image for women. For this reason, women have a

higher tendency to socially compare themselves compared to men. This is supported by Harrison

et al.’s (2006) findings that revealed women restricted their eating after viewing ideal body

images in the media while men responded by eating more.

Fitspiration content on Instagram presents women with the opportunity for upward

comparison, one type of comparison according to the social comparison theory. Fitspiration

accounts fit into the category of upward comparison because the account owners can be viewed
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as in a socially better position. These account owners have an optimally fit figure, live a healthy

lifestyle, and have a sizeable follower base displaying their popularity. The fit figure and healthy

lifestyle that these fitspiration gurus occupy does not come naturally and can be unattainable for

some women. The average woman is unlikely to meet the standards they see in the fitspiration

content. As a result, when a woman compares herself to the fitspiration account owners, her own

body seems unattractive. This upward comparison may then lead to damaging effects if the

women viewing these posts have low self-esteem.

Nonverbal Communication

On closer examination of typical fitspiration content on Instagram, there is nonverbal

communication in the posts that contribute to the use of these posts for social comparison.

Fitspiration pictures are predominantly of ones’ body, typically thin and toned. Because the

bodies are intended to be the center of attention in the posts, the fitspiration gurus wear skin-tight

clothes or a little amount of clothing. The individuals then pose in a way to draw attention to

their thinness and their visibly tone bodies. With the focus of showing off their bodies, these

poses and depictions of bodies in fitspiration posts are often sexually objectifying (Fardouly,

2017). Furthermore, the bodies are accentuated even more with the use of filters and editing

available for use on Instagram. This results in the pictures looking more beautiful and appealing.

Although these fitspiration images of the body are intended to be positive and inspire

others to achieve a similar healthy and fit lifestyle, the nonverbal messages the posts are giving

off are sexually objectifying and increased focus on the ideal body image. This nonverbal

communication contributes to how women socially compare themselves when they view the

fitspiration images. The presentation of an ideal body image, accompanied by a large number of

likes the images receive, will posit these fitspiration account users as higher in social status than
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the average women. As a result, when women use upward comparison to view these posts, the

nonverbal communication may lead women to think they need to pay more attention to their

body image and sexually objectify their bodies in order to achieve a similar social status.

Negative Body Talk

As women socially compare themselves to the fitspiration images, negative body talk

may result. This type of verbal communication about one’s body can lead to detrimental effects,

as explained by Arroyo and Brunner (2016). These effects include “disordered eating

attitudes/behaviors, body dissatisfaction, and depression” (Arroyo, 2016, p. 218). Arroyo and

Brunner’s study focused on friends’ fitness posts as individuals experienced more negative body

talk the more they viewed this content (2016). The results of this study can also lead to

implications for fitspiration more generally. According to the social comparison theory, people

naturally participate in social comparison. Depending on how dissatisfied a woman is with her

body or how verbal she is about her feelings, negative body talk may result from viewing any

fitspiration post. Continually using negative body talk will further reinforce levels of guilt and

body dissatisfaction, possibly leading to changes in eating habits. This type of verbal

communication may also lead women’s peers to join the conversation, causing more people to

feel dissatisfied about their bodies. As fitspiration Instagram content presents the opportunity for

upward comparison, these effects of negative body talk are likely to result when a woman has a

higher tendency to compare herself to others.

Implications

Some women use verbal communication to express the impact of fitspiration content,

while others internalize the effects of nonverbal communication in the Instagram posts.

Regardless, the fitspiration trend has the potential to be detrimental to women. As the findings of
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Harrison, Taylor, and Markse’s (2006) experiment showed, the presentation of an ideal body

image in social media will cause women to restrict or change their eating habits. The ideal body

image that fitspiration presents, an uncommonly thin and toned body, may lead women to alter

what they eat as a consequence of upward comparison. While small changes in eating habits can

be minor, the effects can build-up resulting in eating disorders. Some women will not reap these

adverse effects due to their high self-confidence and lower tendency to fixate on comparing

themselves to others. Still, women do suffer as they are naturally drawn to socially compare

themselves to the fitspiration images.

More focus should be placed on reducing the harmful effects of not only fitspiration but

all presentations of body image in social media as a whole. Women, especially those with low

self-confidence, should be discouraged from following accounts that present appearance focused

images, such as fitspiration. If women see fewer posts focusing on the ideal body image, they

will not compare themesleves as much and will have better self-esteem. Additionally, I think

elementary and middle schools should provide media literacy courses. These courses should

inform girls at a young age about the idealized and edited imagery on social media. Educating

girls at a young age about the effects of ideal body images will aid in socializing women to

minimize the negative impacts of social comparisons and desires to achieve the unattainable. As

the social comparison theory posits that people naturally compare themselves to others, the

negative impacts of content like fitspiration will persist unless we alter how people respond to

ideal body imagery.

Conclusion

Fitspiration is just one of the many trends that continues to flourish on Instagram.

Women continually engage in viewing this type of content because of its prevalence. What these
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women may not be aware of is the negative impacts it is having on their self-perception. Through

the social comparison theory, it is evident that people instinctively compare themselves to others

to form an understanding of their own identity. How a person reacts to that comparison depends

on the individual and their level of self-esteem. Instagram, as a platform, is associated with

negative impacts on an individual’s well-being. This impact depends on how much the individual

compares their self to others. Similarly, when women view fitspiration content on Instagram,

some women may experience more negative effects than others. Nevertheless, fitspiration posts

present women with the opportunity to upwardly compare themselves, whether friends or

strangers post it. Fitspiration account owners can be perceived as higher in social status due to

their popularity shown by the number of followers and likes, and their presentation of an ideal

body image. The nonverbal communication in these images is self-objectifying with an increased

focus on appearance. Upward comparison to fitspiration content can lead to women verbally

communicating their body dissatisfaction through negative body talk, reinforcing their guilt. This

type of comparison can also lead women to attempt to achieve a similar body image, possibly

resulting in restricted eating or eating disorders. Women will continue to compare themselves to

what they see on Instagram, as supported by the social comparison theory. Also, fitspiration

account gurus like Jen Selter will continue to post due to fitspiration’s popularity. How women

are socialized to view idealized imagery in the media needs to be addressed, or the negative

impacts will continue to persist.

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Annotated Bibliography

Arroyo, A., & Brunner, S. R. (2016). Negative body talk as an outcome of friends’ fitness posts

on social networking sites: body surveillance and social comparison as potential

moderators. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 44(3), 216–235. doi:

10.1080/00909882.2016.1192293

Arroyo and Brunner analyzed whether social networking sites, Instagram and Facebook,

spread sociocultural influences of body image. The authors surveyed young adults and

found that frequently viewing friends’ fitness posts resulted in negative body talk. This

was especially true among people who said they were more likely to compare themselves

to others. Fitspiration is the topic of discussion because of its prevalence in these social

media outlets. The movement is intended to be positive but still shows an ideal body

image, unattainable for most. I used Arroyo et al.’s findings to analyze the effects of

negative body talk from viewing fitspiration content. I discussed negative body talk as the

verbal communication element that can result from social comparison.

Fardouly, J., Willburger, B. K., & Vartanian, L. R. (2017). Instagram use and young women’s

body image concerns and self-objectification: Testing mediational pathways. New Media

& Society, 20(4), 1380–1395. doi: 10.1177/1461444817694499.

This article discussed a study that focused on the correlation between Instagram use and

body image and self-objectification in women. The authors discuss Instagram as a

platform and how it is prevelant among young women. Fitspiration is also a significant

component of this study, as the authors explain that fitspiration images are appearance,

focused. The results of the study show that increased Instagram use was associated with

greater self-objectification. Also, viewing fitspiration content on Instagram was

FITSPIRATION AND IT’S NOT SO INSPIRATIONAL EFFECT 12

correlated to higher body image concerns. I used this study in my paper to discuss how

fitspiration, while it intends is to inspire other people, leads to body image concerns. I

also allude to their discussion about what fitspiration is more generally and how it

presents an ideal body image.

Harrison, K., Taylor, L. D., & Marske, A. L. (2006). Women’s and Men’s Eating Behavior

Following Exposure to Ideal-Body Images and Text. Communication Research, 33(6),

507–529. doi: 10.1177/0093650206293247

Harrison et al. focused on how viewing ideal-body images and text affected young adults’

eating behaviors. The experiment looked at how men and women changed what they ate

after viewing ideal-body imagery with and without text to supplement the image. It was

found that among women, high discrepancy individuals avoided food after viewing this

media. After viewing the media with text, there was no difference in how much the

women ate after seeing the images compared to the media without text. I used Harrison et

al.’s findings to discuss what can result from the presentation of an ideal body image in

fitspiration content. I also use these results when discussing the implications to show that

for some people, the impacts of idealized images are detrimental and can lead to eating

disorders.

Jackson, R. L. & Hogg, M. A. (2010). Social comparison theory. In Encyclopedia of identity (pp.

738-739). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi:

10.4135/9781412979306.n237

Mackson, S. B., Brochu, P. M., & Schneider, B. A. (2019). Instagram: Friend or foe? The

application’s association with psychological well-being. New Media & Society, 21(10),

2160–2182. doi: 10.1177/1461444819840021

FITSPIRATION AND IT’S NOT SO INSPIRATIONAL EFFECT 13

Mackson et al. looked at the relationship between Instagram and users’ psychological

well-being, comparing users to non-users. Through a study, it was found that Instagram

users reported lower levels of anxiety, depression, and loneliness but higher levels of

self-esteem. Then the authors looked at what causes users’ anxiety and depression. It was

found that Instagram anxiety and social comparison caused anxiety and depression,

which led to poor psychological outcomes. Even though in the first study, people with

Instagram reported lower anxiety, depression, and loneliness, and higher self-esteem, this

article goes further to address how people suffer from social media.

I use this study to show that Instagram has the potential to have positive effects. Then I

reference the second part of the study to support that Instagram can lead to negative

effects due to people tending to compare themselves to others. The differences in effects

prove that Instagram itself is not what causes these negative effects, but instead, it is how

people use the application.

Selter, J. [@jenselter]. (n.d.). Posts [Instagram profile]. Retrieved December 18, 2019, from

https://www.instagram.com/jenselter/?hl=en.

Vries, D. A. D., Möller, A. M., Wieringa, M. S., Eigenraam, A. W., & Hamelink, K. (2017).

Social Comparison as the Thief of Joy: Emotional Consequences of Viewing Strangers’

Instagram Posts. Media Psychology, 21(2), 222–245. doi:

10.1080/15213269.2016.1267647

Dian et al. investigate the emotional consequences of Instagram users viewing strangers’

positive posts. Overall, people tend to post and present positive aspects of themselves on

Instagram. This relays the message to strangers that they are doing better, and their lives

are better than they may be in reality. The authors looked at this from a social comparison
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perspective and found that people who usually compare themselves to others experienced

a lower positive affect after viewing positive posts. The findings of the experiment imply

that people’s differences in how they process Instagram posts lead people to respond in

opposite ways.

I used this article to further discuss the negative effects fitspiration can have on women,

especially when strangers own the posts. The implications of this study support my point

that the impacts of Instagram are contingent on the person. People who tend to compare

themselves to others will experience a negative effect from viewing a positive post.