The impact of social media usage on self-esteem and body image satisfaction in young women

Abstract

This study looked at how young women's use of social media affects their self-esteem and how happy they are with their bodies. 102 women between the ages of 18 and 25 who used Instagram and Facebook often filled out a poll about their use of social media, self-esteem, body happiness, and online comparisons of looks. The results showed that spending time on social media was a strong indicator of lower self-esteem and body happiness. The link between using and being unhappy with your body was mediated by social differences. Self-esteem and happiness with their bodies were lowest among young women who changed their photos before sharing them and cared a lot about the feedback (likes) their photos got. Previous study has shown that social media has a bad effect on how young women see themselves and how they feel about their looks. Using social media in safer ways and doing less of what could be dangerous could help reduce these risks.