Social network addiction symptoms and body dissatisfaction in young women: exploring the mediating role of awareness of appearance pressure and internalization of the thin ideal

Abstract

Background Previous studies testing for a direct relationship between social networking sites (SNS) addiction and body dissatisfaction (BD) have yielded inconsistent results. Here, we aimed to identify underlying processes that could mediate this relationship. Specifically, we studied the relationship between SNS addiction symptoms and BD through the awareness of appearance pressures and the internalization of beauty ideals, both individually and serially: SNS addiction → Awareness → BD; SNS addiction → Internalization → BD; SNS addiction → Awareness → Internalization → BD. Method A total of 368 female undergraduates with SNS accounts completed scales to assess SNS addiction symptoms (Social Network Addiction Questionnaire), BD (Body Shape Questionnaire), awareness, and internalization (Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4; awareness and internalization scales). A theoretical serial mediation model was constructed to examine the proposed relationships. Body mass index was included as a covariate to control the influence of this important variable. Results The results indicated that both awareness and internalization independently mediated the relationship between SNS addiction symptoms and BD. Also, there was a significant serial mediation effect; women with more SNS addiction symptoms tended to be more aware of appearance pressure, which was associated with the internalization of beauty ideals. In turn, this internalization was positively related to BD symptoms. Conclusions These findings shed light on the indirect relationship between SNS addiction and BD, demonstrating independent and accumulative mediating effects of awareness and internalization.

The Relationship between Social Media Use and Body Image in Lebanese University Students

“…In fact, the significant Western influence in the media in Lebanon has spread perceptions of a ‘perfect body’ and thus led to increased body concerns [ 45 ]. However, these results contradict other studies that did not find a direct association between social media addiction and body concerns or dissatisfaction [ 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 ].…”

Uso de redes sociales y factores de riesgo para el desarrollo de trastornos relacionados con la alimentación en España: una revisión sistemática

“…UU. Transversal-intercultural N (total) = 4.495 N (muestra española) = n.d. Mujeres (72%), hombres (27%), otros (0,6%) Edad media: 22,96 años Población general Adicción a FB Autoestima Prieler et al, 2021 24 Austria, Bélgica, España, Corea del Sur Transversal N (total) = 981 N (muestra española) = n.d. Mujeres Rango edad: 12-16 años Estudiantes de secundaria Comparación de la imagen en FB Autoestima basada en la aprobación de los demás Estima corporal Romero-Rodríguez et al, 2020 25 España Transversal N = 385 Mujeres (61,8%) y hombres (38,2%) Edad media: 22,17 años Rango edad: 18-35 años Estudiantes universitarios Intensidad de uso de IG Adicción al móvil Autoestima Cataldo et al, 2022 26 España, Lituania, Reino Unido, Japón y Hungría Transversal N (total) = 729 N (muestra española) = 262 Mujeres (72,3%) y hombres (27,7%) Edad media: 37,75 años Rango edad: 17-70 años Población general Frecuencia de uso de redes sociales Visualización de contenido relacionado con actividad física Ansiedad por la apariencia corporal Consumo de medicamentos para mejorar la imagen Vall-Roqué et al, 2021 27 España Transversal N = 2.601 Mujeres Rango edad: G1: 14-24 años G2: 25-35 años Población general Frecuencia de uso de IG, TW, TikTok, YT y FB Tipo de contenido seguido en IG Impulso a la delgadez Insatisfacción corporal Autoestima Delgado-Rodríguez et al, 2022 28 España Transversal N = 368 Mujeres Edad media: 20,54 años Rango edad: 17-30 años Estudiantes universitarios …”

Self-Objectification and Depression among Students Experiencing Facebook Addiction

“…It is divided into 3 subscales. The surveillance subscale measures the degree to which a person views their physical appearance from an outside observer's perspective (Items 1,3,7,9,14,16,18,and 20).…”

“…Additionally, rather than acquiring opinions from their parents, the young individuals preferred to give importance to the point of view of their peers. Such adolescents seemed to be experiencing body dissatisfaction, weight concerns, stress, substance abuse, lower self-worth, and suicide attempts (Delgado et al, 2022).…”