Mass media and muscle: the impact of social media on young adult men's everyday experiences and body dissatisfaction - a qualitative inquiry

Abstract

Intention: The purpose of this thesis is to examine young men's body dissatisfaction, as men are typically marginalized as a population less susceptible to developing body image issues and eating disorders. The purpose of this study was also to examine men's relationship to social media and how that impacts their expectations and beliefs about their body self-identities. Methods: For this study, a qualitative method procedure. The study population was men aged 18 to mid-20s. Recruits partook in semi-structured interviews and answered questions about their fitness lifestyle and experience with social media. Grounded Theory was utilized to identify meaning through data analysis. Findings: Participants who had a worse body image tended to view more idealized imagery on social media and viewed the body as an object, while those who were more content or positive about their self-body image tended not to follow any specific social media figures and aspired for fitter bodies because it would improve their performance. Conclusion: Solutions to social media imagery are discussed as well as compelling topics that emerged from the interview that can serve as the basis for further research.