Literature Review

Generally, research supports the claim that social media and internet use can cause body dissatisfaction and other self-esteem problems (Van Vonderen & Kinnally, 2012; Fardouly & Vartanian, 2016; Dittmar, 2009; Wang et al., 2020). Social media and internet sites are packed to the brim with idealistic images of what someone’s body should look like. Entire websites and pages are dedicated to people considered to be the ideal body type, masquerading under the guise of being inspirational and motivational. Unfortunately, these accounts have largely the opposite effect, especially for the most vulnerable group of social media users- teenagers.

In this literature review, I will discuss the pre-existing studies and articles that confirm that social media use puts teens and young adults more at risk for body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem.

How Idealistic Images Impact Social Media Users

As stated above, social media is full of idealistic images of what bodies should look like. People post pictures of themselves all day long, so someone is bound to comment on their appearance in one way or another, and those with large followings are “often viewed as the epitome of success and social desirability” with their “body weight and beauty… associated with their success” (Van Vonderen & Kinnally, 2012, p.42). Social media has become “a new public forum for interpersonal interaction,” specifically interactions related to “body talk” and “physical appearance” (Wang et al., 2020, p. 732). Another aspect of this is the “ultra-thin ideal for women,” where women and everyone around them believe that thinness equates to beauty (Dittmar, 2009, p. 6). Because of this, a lot of the talk on social media has become a form of “objectification,” whether that be sexual or otherwise- people and their bodies have become objects to be judged (Wang et al., 2020, p. 731). According to the 2020 study done by Wang, et al., “positive relationships” exist between “body talk” and “body shame” (p. 739). Websites and social media networks where physical appearance and body talk are common points of conversation are proven to create at least some sort of body dissatisfaction- shame, self- surveillance, or any number of other things- and when those negative effects are amplified by increased usage, it could be catastrophic.

Individuals at Risk for Body Dissatisfaction

In a 2006 study by Bearman et al., it was concluded that “regardless of gender,” a “considerable number of adolescents experience body dissatisfaction” (p. 239). Although this study does not deliberately mention social media or internet use as a cause of body shame or dissatisfaction, it does prove that adolescents are the most at-risk for developing these issues. The study also concluded that body dissatisfaction is more prevalent in females, especially those who were not as thin as other participants, with the thinner adolescent females reporting higher rates of body satisfaction ( Bearman et al., 2006, p. 239). Another study also concluded that adolescent “females were twice as likely to have low self-esteem as males,” (McClure et al., 2010, p. 240). Body dissatisfaction can lead to a number of serious and long-lasting problems, which I will discuss in the next section.

Issues Resulting from Body Dissatisfaction

Body dissatisfaction is a problem in and of itself. The vulnerable individuals who experience this are much more likely to engage in destructive behaviors such as “disordered eating,” “unbalanced diet regimes, or steroid abuse” (Dittmar, 2009, p. 1). There are also mental health problems associated with body dissatisfaction, with “low self-esteem” being the most basic one, and problems like “body dismorphic disorder [and] depression” being the more serious resulting issues (Dittmar, 2009, p. 1). A study done in 2006 concluded that people who had low self-esteem as adolescents were more likely to struggle with depression, anxiety, and addiction, were also more likely to be in poor health as adults, and were more likely to develop a criminal record than adolescents who had higher self-esteem (Trzesniewski et al., 2006). Not only does body dissatisfaction lead to mental illness, it can actually have a negative effect on someone’s physical health, which is further proof that body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem are serious problems with serious consequences.