Literature review:

Various studies have been done by researchers to understand the influence of social media on body
image perception

Stein (2023) suggests that the modern mass media frequently represents unrealistic body types, which
leads to impractical expectations. The social media movement “body positivity” attempts to mitigate
narrow body stereotypes and cater to diversity and acceptance. Stein believes that exposure to body-
positive media reshapes women's perception of the ideal body. The results of two previous experiments
links the #body positivity movement to a higher mean ideal body shape and a diversity of weight related
criteria. This study is an extension of previous papers to highlight the impact of BoPo on body image
perception.

Caddel’s (2018) research talks about the influence of social media on female body image satisfaction and
the potential link to eating disorders. Caddel interviewed 13 women face to face in order to explore
personal perspectives and experiences regarding one's own body image. The results of this study
revealed that social media has a positive as well as a negative impact on body image. Images that depict
fitness mostly generate motivation and empowerment whereas images where thin body stereotypes are
promoted lead to empathy and distress. This study also highlights the psychological impact of engaging
with idealized images on social media.

Ali’s (2023) research studied the relationship between social media and self-esteem. Adolescence is a
crucial time period in girls and boys to develop body image problems. The physical changes developed in
this time can be a factor in the body image perception. It may cause the adolescent to become
conscious and have a distorted perception of their bodies. Many researches have concluded that the
excessive use of social media platforms have negative effects on self-esteem in adolescents. It was
discovered that the individuals' levels of social media addiction negatively impacted their levels of self-
esteem and body image.

Social Media Addiction

Social Media platforms have become the primary way of communication. In this generation. Younger
generation faces severe challenges due to the extra exposure of filtered images, unrealistic beauty
standards. Social media has normalized unreal things rather than showing what actual reality is. Karam
(23) research explains how people idealize themselves by putting our their most attractive pictures on
their profiles. These pictures might be edited or have a filter on it but still it causes misconception and
people compare themselves with it in the most unreal way. This causes body dissatisfaction and it has
been a serious worry between men and women. It typically comes when people rate their actual body
with the ideal form.

Social Media Platforms

One of the social media platforms is Instagram. People use it to share their photos and engage with
others by commenting and liking each other’s posts. Some individuals, with several followers on
Instagram hold influence. They carefully select the pictures they want to display, often portraying a
version of themselves with flawless bodies. This can create self-doubt among users as they compare
themselves to these influencers and feel conscious about their bodies. TikTok has become extremely
popular among users due to its short video format. Its addictive quality stems from the stream of videos
which can lead to hours of mindless consumption. This level of screen time may have effects on user’s
mental wellbeing and productivity.

Body Image disorders

Many research efforts have examined the relationship between exposure to traditional media and the
prevalence of body dissatisfaction and body image disorder. The use of social media sites has increased
significantly over the past decade, especially among teenagers. The primary purpose of this study was to
examine the relationship between the frequency with which individuals compare their appearance to
those they follow on social media and their level of body dissatisfaction and desire to be thin.

Research by Lucy C. Blower (2003) examined how young girls feel about their bodies, specifically
whether they feel pressure to be thin because of what they see in media such as magazines and
television. They also wonder if they are comparing themselves to others, which could make them
unhappy with their bodies. They asked these questions to 153 girls aged 10 to 13 years. They found that
the media had a strong influence on the way girls wanted to be thin. When they see slim models in the
media, they start to believe that they should look like that too. This can make them feel bad about their
bodies. When girls compare themselves to others, it can also affect how they feel about their bodies.

Body Dissatisfaction

Ahrens j’s (2022) study shows that many women often feel unhappy with how their bodies look, which
can affect their mental health. This study looked at how pictures on social media, especially those
showing very fit and toned bodies, might make this feeling worse. Instagram is a popular social media
platform, especially among young people. However, we don’t know much about the types of images
that fitness influencers (people who talk about fitness) and fitness brands (companies that sell fitness
products) post, or how these images change over time. In this study, they wanted to see if there were
differences between images from fitness influencers and fitness brands on Instagram. In summary, this
study demonstrates differences in the types of images fitness influencers and fitness brands post on
Instagram. It also shows that the nature of the content has changed over time. This information can help
us understand how social media images influence how people think about their physical and mental
health, especially when we consider who posts these images.

Body image and eating disorders.

According to G. Holland (2016), extensive research has revealed the impact of mass media on body
image and eating disorders. More recently, G. Holland's research has looked at "new" media forms such
as the Internet, with a particular focus on social networking sites (SNS). A systematic review of peer-
reviewed articles on SNS use and its impact on body image and eating disorders identified 20 studies
that met specific criteria. Together, these studies suggest a link between SNS use and body image issues
and eating disorders, according to G. Holland's analysis. Certain activities on social networks, such as
viewing and sharing photos and receiving negative feedback through status updates, were considered
particularly problematic. Appearance comparisons were found to be the mediator between concerns
about body image and eating disorders.

Rooting deep into the realm of mental health among adolescent girls and their social media habits,
Colleen Fisher (2022) conducted groundbreaking research. The study's focus was on the possible
influence of sexualized images frequently found on various platforms and how this might lead to
increased body dissatisfaction. The participants were 24 girls aged 14 to 17 in Perth, Western Australia,
who partook in in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was applied to understand their reactions. The
apprehensions about their physical appearance were heightened due to girls' negative comparisons
when exposed to images on social media, which in turn caused them to express concerns about their
body image. They would then seek validation through social media and sometimes take steps to alter
their looks. This was all according to Fisher's findings. In 2022, Colleen Fisher's research stressed the
importance of educating young people about social media's effects on body image. Fisher recommended
promoting healthy body image and combating harmful perceptions through various strategies.

Conclusion

Especially among adolescents, the intricate correlation between body image and social media is
highlighted through these studies. As a result, there is a demand for more investigation and the creation
of tactics that combat the potential detrimental effects.