Social Influence and Body Dissatisfaction Through Social Media

The 4th (ICARSS) International Conference on Advanced Research in Social Sciences
Oxford, UK November 26-28, 2021
Social Influence and Body Dissatisfaction

through Social Media
GOWRI ANIL
Bachelors of Social Sciences
Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Tuljapur, Maharashtra, India
Abstract
The purpose of this research paper is to examine whether the overflow of images and videos
on social media platforms of the social media influencers and models with ‘slim and fit’ body
type creates conformity in the minds of young spectators that their body is not good enough.
This is to understand the extent of symbolic social influence regarding body dissatisfaction
and understand its reason. The research methodology is a self-report survey of girls/women of
the age group of 13 – 30 through the internet. This study clearly portrayed that individuals
instinct to conform to the popular group of thin women on social media pages was clearly a
major reason for them to feel that their bodies were not good enough despite the knowledge
that it is not ‘ideal’ since we live in a world which calls out to give space and appreciation to
plus-sized models too.
Keywords: body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, internalisation, social influence, social

media
1. Introduction
Beauty and body image are not universal and has always been socially determined in the
world. The society always conceals the meaning of beauty and perfection by exposing a
toxic model in the forefront as ideal. They have also changed across time and culture. In
most of history, plumpness was considered ideal. Fuller figures and fuller stomachs became
depicted as the ideal type at the beginning of the 20th century as a symbol of a well-fed
individual with success and prosperity. In the 1920s, flat- chested and straight hipped
"boyish" figures were beautiful. ‘Pin-up’ girls were the type in the early 1940s and then
came curvy or hour-glass figure which lasted for several decades. With increasingly thinner
models in the 1960s, thinness became popular again and this ideal stayed and is becoming
thinner. Ever since there has been a constant struggle for the people to stand at par with
despite gender but struggle and social isolation has been witnessed among the females since
time immemorial.
We live in a world where social media rules every realm of your life. Social media has
turned out to be a space where users create selective self- presentations through images,
messages and other content that they choose to share. Social networking platforms like
Instagram, Facebook, Tinder, TikTok, etc. play a huge part in our daily pursuits even. Seeing
millions of users from different social backgrounds the users are put in a position of mutual
inspection of who stands better in the platform. It has a huge influence on our thoughts and
minds and we are in an age of deteriorating self- love, bad mental health and self-harming
body dissatisfaction among young women.

Each and every day many new models are made and many social influencers born with
millions of followers admiring them and intruding their personal and public life. From the
moment they wake up till the go to bed, they remain active on social media and share their
life through snaps. Flaunting their body and confidence are the highlights of this. The
followers blindly view their life through the rectangles in their hand and do an introspection
of whether they fall under the group that they admire. Despite the wide array of models and
social influencers on social media platforms with varying body types, the users tend to
follow more and worship the media imagesdepicting the extremely thin body type which has
always been considered ideal in the Western cultures and even in India today.
A major concern rising from this is body image issues. The models and actors having the so-
called ‘perfect size zero body’ flood the feeds daily into every single user. The ordinary
spectators viewing it develop insecurities and inferiority complex as they are unable to
belong to that body type. Evaluation of oneself in comparison and struggle to become part
of the majority is a basic human instinct. The instinct in oneself to conform to the group of
so-called perfect kicks within each one of us which gives rise to insecurities and body
dissatisfaction in oneself. The inability to join the group or their adherence to conformity
develops even anxiety disorders in them. The insecurity and body dissatisfaction can even
lead to self-hate. This not only deteriorates their mental health but also encourages them to
start unhealthy diet practices with no proper guides leading to deteriorating health.
2. Literature Review
Individuals are constantly influenced by the real and or perceived choices, attitudes and
behaviours of the people and entities around them (Cialdini, 2001). An overwhelming
amount of research done says that the adoption of action or choice that is predecessor has
made is done despite it being incorrect or not considered the best response for the matter.
The absolute majority size is decisive for the level of conformity, but the relative majority
size even more. (e.g., Ash, 1951, 1952a, 1952b, 1955, 1956). Solomon Asch’s classical line
judgement experiments mark the starting point. Each individual is influenced by the actions
or perceived actions of the people around us (Veldkamp, J. A. M., 2019).
Exposure to media images of thin and beautiful women have always affected the bodyimage
of women due to their high internalisation level and heavy social influence (Yamamiya. Y. et.
al., 2005).
Earlier a correlational study was conducted to understand social comparisons made on social
media mainly Facebook and examine its relation to body image (Fardouly & Vartanian,
2015). Here the study indicated that a relationship was mediated between Facebook use and
body image concerns through Facebook comparisons and this has led to body dissatisfaction
and drive for thinness among the users.
Other correlational analyses were conducted among participants of the aged 18 and 19 were
called for a 45-minute survey conducted through an online Qualtrics survey on 9
consecutive nights to answer them based on their feelings and experience regarding their
body comparison tendency, body esteem, motivation to use social media for body


comparison and time spent on social media (Puglia, D., 2017). Most participants reported
engagement in body comparisons regardless of its negative association with body esteem
majorly among young women. The body comparison tendency became the model as an
independent factor and the self-esteem was the dependent factor while the motivation to
use social media for body comparisons became the mediating factor.
3. Major Theories
Social influence has great power on what one think and acts. It has the ability to control and
monitor every individual without their greater consciousness even. The definition of social
influence says that it involves the many ways in which people produce changes – in their
behaviour, attitudes, or beliefs (Cialdini 2000, 2006). The symbolic social influence reflects
the fact that it results from our mental representations of other people rather than their actual
presence or overt actions.
Conformity is the pressure to behave in ways that are more consistent with the rules
indicating how we should behave, it is much similar to the social norm. Some of these can
even be unspoken and implicit.
The Social-Ecological Theory also outlines some of the processes underlying the
development of body dissatisfaction and other related issues in women. The body
dissatisfaction in women is a result of the social influences which becomes a concern due to
the connection made between body dissatisfaction and negatively physical and psychological
outcomes such as depression (Lindberg et. Al., 2006; Tiggemann & Kuring, 2004). Thin-
ideal internalisation through media images causes women and girls to place a high level of
importance on their appearance over personality characteristics or abilities (Fredrickson &
Roberts, 1997; McKinley & Hyde, 1996). There are also several studies which say
internalisation of thin-ideal can be a predictor of body dissatisfaction especially in
adolescent girls and young women.
Social Comparison Theory talks about how individuals engage in comparison with others to
determine their relative social standing and worth (Festinger, 1954). An upward social
comparison with a dissimilar target can give rise to negative outcomes while that with a
similar target creates more positive effects. This theory is also applied to a range of personal
and social attributes which includes an individual’s attractiveness based on their body size
and shape. The socio-cultural pressure to be physically attractive and incredibly thin
motivates women to find references to use forbody comparisons.
4. Data and Methodology

4.1. Research Method
The participants are female of age group 13 – 40 who are either in school, colleges or
leading independent lives. Most of the participants are from the well-off background and are
frequent and active users of one or the other social media platforms. These categories of
females are a very relevant population to study this topic due to their high rates of social
media usage and familiarity with popular models and social mediainfluencers on these
platforms and also due to their high risk of body image concerns and eating disorders.


With consent and the ultimate choice for them to participate, they were given a surveyform
with 7 questions respecting their identity. There were no questions about their race, colour or
other unrelated topics. Respondent was instructed to answer the question based on their
feelings and thoughts. The survey was conducted using ‘Google Forms’ due to the
constraints and these forms were shared to the participants through social media platforms
like WhatsApp, Gmail and Instagram.
There were 126 participants out of which only 125 participants were willing to revealtheir
age group. 79.2% of the participants belonged to the age group 19-25 and they were all
graduates and postgraduates enrolled in colleges, 13.6% were of age 13 – 18 who were
school-going girls, 6.4% were of age 25 – 30 who were either pursuing studies or working
women and only 1 participant in this survey was above the age of 30.
Figure 1: Age Group - Pie Chart
The research is conducted in India among young Indian females are frequent users of social
media. Majority of the participants are city dwellers.
The analysis of the survey data was conducted using data purely collected from participants
and tracing the differences and percentage of the choices opted as answer. A correlational
analysis will be made regarding the social media most used by the participants, a relation
about the social influencers or models of which body type they tend to follow more,
conformity to be like the ones that they admire, body dissatisfaction triggering diet and body
comparison regarding their body and physical appearance.
4.2. Data collection tool
The tools of data collection used are a questionnaire. The questionnaire supported the
normative survey research and organises the scattered sources with great convenience. We
have used a structured and closed form of questionnaire. For rating the data collected
standard scales are being used. Percentage of group scale is rater used to provide the
percentage of the group that possesses the trait on which the individual is rated. To learn
more about which social media platform majority of them use, to understand which group of
models or social influencers do the participants tend to follow, how far the conform to the
group and rise body issues and dissatisfaction, the survey was provided with check lists of
multiple options and also yes or no to provide them with greater flexibility of proving more
genuine answers with terms used clearly defined. The questions are also arranged in a

logical order for better comprehensiveness. For interest measurement, direct questioning and
also a personality inventory method were used to measure the personality trait and tendency
of conformity under social influence.
4.3. Data interpretation tools and method
Here, the data is interpreted using descriptive statistics. The data obtained is organised and
summarised with the help of bar graphs and pie chart for the convenience, easier handling and
quick comparisons.
4.4. Data Analysis
The survey provided basic information about their first hand feeling on their body
dissatisfaction thus allowing a better understanding of social influence. For the social media
usage Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok were used since these are now the most popular and
most used platform by young users and also these are biggest space were models and social
influencers remain most active and gain followers.
On the sample survey conducted among these 125 participants, 119 of them responded to
this question and the results obtained were -
Figure 2: Familiarity with models/ social media influencers - Bar Graph
Among the popular models/social influencers given to the participants to understand the
models of which body type did the participants tend to follow more or which group did they
find more desirable. It was a list of 12 out of which 6 were those with slim and ideal body
type while other 6 were plus sized. They were both international as well as Indian females
most celebrated on these social media platforms. Among the slim ideal bodied celebrities
Kendal Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Charli D'Amelio and Bella Hadid are internationalwhile Dayana
Erappa, Komal Pandey and Disha Patani are Indian. Among the plus sized celebrities Ashley
Graham, Jada Sezer, Tess Holliday, Ann OBrien and Denise Bidot are international while
Sakshi Sindwani and Varshita Thatavarthi are Indian.


Figure 3: Body type of the models/ social media influencers followed - Pie Chart
5. Result
The results obtained from the sample survey was that 61.4% was the following trend
percentage for the slim and fit bodied models, the plus sized models were followed and
familiar only 10% of the participants. This clearly indicate why the group is higher
percentage remain desirable and ideal thus establishing a symbolic social influence on the
users.
The rest of the questions were to cross verify howfar they conform to this social influence
and to examine whether this actually gave rise to body dissatisfaction and trigger any
responses like self-hate and unhealthy dietsto belong to the admired group or follow the
thin-deal internalisation. And the data received from the samples are as follows -
Figure 4: Social Influence study - Pie Chart
Have those 'slim fit bodies ' ever become a trigger to start a diet?
1 24 responses
e Yes
• No

Figure 5: Body Dissatisfaction study 1 - Pie Chart
Have the posts of any of the models that you find online ever made you felt that your body is notperfect?
1 26 responses
e Yes
e No
Figure 6: Body Dissatisfaction study 2 - Pie Chart
Have you ever felt/ desired to be a part of that group (similar body type) at any point?
124 responses
e Yes
• No
Figure 7: Internalisation study - Pie Chart
e Yes
Do you consider the body of 'slim and fit' models as idea l? • No
1 26 responses
6. Conclusion
As more people tend to follow the group of thin and fit bodies celebrities more on these
social media spaces, it clearly brings out that symbolic social influence that these body types
are ideal are present in the minds of these social media users despite the other group being
popular enough, they remain to be less desirable category the participants conform to be a
part of.

Even when the body dissatisfaction and instinct to conform to the group due to
internalisation of thin-ideal exists, the participants did not agree that the slim and fit models
were the ideals of the society as we live in a world where we try to profess how everybody
type is equally good despite the great popularity gained by the other group.
But still it is evident that, in this era of social media where everyone is judging one’s value
by flaunting their looks and telecasting lives through these spaces, young females felt more
vulnerable to look alike the desired group due to internalised thin- ideal and the
overpowering social influence giving rise to body dissatisfaction.
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The 4th (ICARSS) International Conference on Advanced Research in Social Sciences

Oxford, UK November 26-28, 2021