The Impact of Social Media Usage to the Self-esteem and Eating attitude of Women

Angela V. De Luna, Karylyn Kate R. Gan, Janica Claire R. Javal, and

Ayane Coleen Lapig

Department of Psychology, College of Health and Allied Sciences, Pamantasan ng

Cabuyao

PSM114: Research in Psychology 1

Prof. Rainier Tolentino

April 2021
 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The social media play a critical role in people’s self‐image by informing and
reflecting what people consider to be beautiful or attractive. There are different aspects
of appearance about which the social media can convey beauty ideals, including hair,
skin, facial features, and body size and shape. This in turn has been known to affect the
self-esteem of individuals with regards to body image and how they view themselves in
society. Self-esteem appears to be a primary risk factor that may contribute to the
development of other risk factors for eating disorders. A recent study conducted by
Mora et al. (2020) shows that having low self-esteem, significantly increases the
likelihood of having Eating Disorder.

In the Philippines, Tadena et al. (2020) confirmed in their study the impact of
social media affinity on adolescents’ eating attitudes and body dissatisfaction.
Disordered eating attitudes are contributing factors to the development of eating
disorders. Adolescent girls are at high risk for eating diseases. It is important to
understand the unintended consequences of Problematic Social media usage. The
influences of this platform on health have not been extensively studied, and little
empirical evidence has been gathered on Social Media’s impact on adolescents’ self-
esteem and eating attitudes. This is a particularly critical issue for adolescents in the
Philippines specifically in the City of Cabuayo, Laguna which consist of 18 urbanized
barangays due to their high internet usage time and concomitant exposure to various
effects of Social Media usage. The researcher’s objective is to know the impact of Social
Media to Self-esteem and Eating attitudes. Also, to assess if there was a relationship
between Self-esteem and Eating attitudes among female adolescence in Cabuyao City
Laguna.
Structure and Rationale of the Study

“Feeling beautiful has nothing to do with what you look like” – Emma Watson.

The social media play a critical role in people’s self‐image by informing and
reflecting what people consider to be beautiful or attractive. There are different aspects
of appearance about which the social media can convey beauty ideals, including hair,
skin, facial features, and body size and shape. This in turn has been known to affect the
self-esteem of individuals with regards to body image and how they view themselves in
society.

The Philippines remains as the top country worldwide whose citizens spend the
most time on the internet and social media, according to research firms Hootsuite and
We Are Social. They spend an average of 10 hours and 56 minutes on the internet daily
via any device (Hootsuite, 2021). Also, Filipinos were considered the top users in sharing
photos and videos (Polancos, 2018). These platforms are being used in ways that affect
individuals’ lives significantly by shaping their thoughts, values, and attitudes. Over time,
social media environment created beauty ideals that are difficult to obtain (Chua &
Chang, 2016; McLean, Jarman, & Rodgers, 2019). Images and Videos that is shown is
usually not realistic. If it is not real, it is not achievable either. Yet, most people think
otherwise and suffer from low self-esteem. Moreover, self-esteem appears to be a
primary risk factor that may contribute to the development of other risk factors for
eating disorders. A recent study conducted by Mora et al. (2020) shows that having low
self-esteem, significantly increases the likelihood of having Eating Disorder.

Further understanding about these issues is important, especially now that Social
media usage has changed dramatically under lockdown. During the initial spring
lockdown period, people's screen time increased, meaning that they were more likely to
be exposed to portraying ideal beauty standards in social media. There might be a
decrease in physical activity which may have heightened negative thoughts about
weight or shape (Swami et al., 2020). You don’t have to quit social media; the trick is
finding balance and to utilize this platform to reach out wide audience and promote
campaigns that represents diversity of overall appearance and encourage people
especially young girls to show off their natural selves, whatever their shape, color, size
may be.

RESEARCH PARADIGM

IV-DV Model

Problematic use of Social  Self-esteem

Media Effect  Eating Attitude

IPO Model

Input Process Output

 Level of social  Statistical Mean  Relationship of

media usage  Pearson correlation Social Media usage
 Level of Self-esteem coefficient r and Self-esteem
 Eating Attitude  Relationship of
Social Media and
Eating Attitude
 Relationship of
Self-esteem and
Eating attitude

Pre-test – Post-test Model

Measurement of the level of Measurement of the level of

Social media usage for baseline social media usage
data
Treatment Variable
Measurement of current level
Measurement of the level of for Self-esteem
Self- esteem for baseline data
Measurement of current Eating
Measurement of the Eating Attitude
attitude for baseline data
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This research aims to discover if Social Media Usage has an impact to the Self-
Esteem and Eating Attitude of Women in the City of Cabuyao. The study seeks to answer
the following questions:

1. What is the level of social media usage of the respondents?

2. What is the level of Self-Esteem of the respondents?
3. What is the eating attitude of the respondents?
4. What is the relationship between social media usage and self-esteem?
5. What is the relationship between social media usage and eating attitude?
6. What is the relationship between self-esteem and eating attitude?

HYPOTHESIS

The researchers want to determine the impact of Social Media Usage to the Self-
esteem and Eating attitude of Women. The following statements below are the
hypothesis of the study:

Ha: There is a significant relationship between social media usage towards self-
esteem and eating attitude of the respondents.

Ho: There is no significant relationship between social media usage towards self-
esteem and eating attitude of the respondents.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to know the impact of social media usage to the self-esteem
and eating attitude of women. Further understanding about these issues is important,
especially now that Social media usage has changed dramatically under lockdown.
During the initial spring lockdown period, people's screen time increased, meaning that
they were more likely to be exposed to portraying ideal beauty standards in social
media. There might be a decrease in physical activity which may have heightened
negative thoughts about weight or shape (Swami et al., 2020). Specifically, this may
bring benefits specifically to the following:

Students. For them to know the importance of balancing the amount of time
they spend on social media. And have awareness of how social media affect their
thoughts, values, and attitudes

Educators. This will help educators the importance of discussing a positive body
image among their students. When teaching about puberty, discuss the natural weight
gain that precedes major growth spurts for boys and girls. Teach them that all bodies
are good bodies. And choose respectful words when discussing bodies and health

Government agencies. Specifically, DepEd and CHED to improve their curriculum

and promote physical activity that is fun and supports good mental and physical health.
Changing student’s body shapes and sizes should never be the goal.

Philippine fashion Industry. To take note that the majority of adolescent females
use social media. And by utilizing this platform to reach out to these users in promoting
campaigns that utilize real models that represent the diversity of overall appearance
and will encourage young girls to show off their natural selves, whatever their shape,
color, size may be.

Researchers. This study may help the researchers to gain knowledge about the
self-esteem and eating attitude of women and give them realization to the situation of
women by using social media.

Future Researchers. This study may be a great help and additional literature to
the future researchers to have a further study regarding self-esteem and eating attitude
of women.
 Community. The result of this study may help the community to determine the
self-esteem and eating attitude of women. This will help the community to have rational
ideas about the situation of women who have low self-esteem and eating attitude by
the means of social media.

To the women. This study may help determine the impact of using social media
platforms and its effects to self-esteem and eating attitude. This may provide sufficient
knowledge on how to care for mental health in the evolving generation which lives are
tend to confine behind the digital screen.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The main purpose of the study is to provide information regarding the impact of
Social Media to Self-esteem and Eating attitudes of women. The researchers will limit
the study to 125 female late adolescence in Cabuyao Laguna and limits its coverage on
the female late adolescents, age 18 to 21 years old to determine the results of the
research problem. Furthermore, the results will serve just the variables measured on
the identified research locale. Due to pandemic caused by Covid-19 the researcher will
use social media as a field of research to gather data from the respondents. The
researchers will also limit the research design to Quantitative method specifically to
Correlational research design which only focus on the relationship of two or more
variables.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Body Image. As used in this study, it is the perception that a person has of their physical
self and the thoughts and feelings that result from that perception.

Eating Attitude. As used in this study, attitudes held by individuals in relation to diet and
food. These are contributing factors to the development of eating disorders. Disordered
eating attitudes includes thinking obsessively about food and calories, becoming angry
when hungry, being unable to select what to eat, seeking food to compensate for
psychological problems, eating until feeling sick, and presenting unreal myths and
beliefs about eating and weight (American Dietetic Association, 2006).

Eating disorder. As used in this study, is characterized by distress regarding a person’s

weight or body shape as well as irregular eating habits. This can be defined by
inadequate or excessive intake of food.

Problematic Social Media Usage. As used in this study, it is defined as a disorder that
does not involve ingestion of a psychoactive substance and shares qualities related to a
behavioral addiction. Specifically, it is being overly concerned about social media, driven
by a strong motivation to log on to or use this platform and to devote so much time and
effort that it impairs psychological health and well-being.

Self-esteem. As used in this study, it is related to general feelings about appearance

than to weight satisfaction or to evaluations attributed to others about one’s body and
appearance.

Social comparisons. As used in this study, it is a psychological phenomenon that

essentially consists of comparing oneself to others. This could be anyone from a close
friend or family member, to a complete stranger, or even a celebrity.

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