The digitized body identity: the use of social media on the self-image formation of adolescents and young adults

Journal title PSICOLOGIA DI COMUNITA’
Author/s Luigia Simona Sica
Publishing Year 2022 Issue 2022/2
Language Italian Pages 22 P. 34-55 File size 257 KB
DOI 10.3280/PSC2022-002003
DOI is like a bar code for intellectual property: to have more infomation click here

Below, you can see the article first page

If you want to buy this article in PDF format, you can do it, following the instructions to buy download credits

Article preview

FrancoAngeli is member of Publishers International Linking Association, Inc (PILA), a not-for-profit association which run the CrossRef service enabling links to and from online scholarly content.

The massive use of image-based social networks changes traditional feed-back sources for individual body-image. Exploring the role of social-networks on identity formation, in this study we examined the relationship between the process of observing modified images on In-stagram, self-esteem and body di-morphism. Self-report measures were administered to 327 adolescents and young adults. Results indicate that both the process of observing modified images and the manipulation of one’s own image increase the dysmorphic symptoms. The re-sults suggest that being constantly exposed to manipulated photo-graphs can take the form of a new area of risk for the identity development of adolescents and emerging adults.

Keywords: Emerging adulthood, social media, Instagram, body image, eudaimonic well-being

  1. Arim, R. G., Shapka, J. D., & Dahinten, V. S. (2006). The developmental trajectories of psychopathology in adolescence: An investigation of the effects of gender and pubertal timing. Paper presented at the 10th Conference of the European Association for Research on Adolescence (EARA). Antalya, Turkey.
  2. Barnes, M., Abhyankar, P., Dimova, E., & Best, C. (2020). Associations between body dissatisfaction and self-reported anxiety and depression in otherwise healthy men: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PloS one, 15(2), e0229268.
  3. Bottesi, G., Ghisi, M., Altoè, G., Conforti, E., Melli, G., & Sica, C. (2015). The Italian version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21: Factor structure and psychometric properties on community and clinical samples. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 60, 170-181.
  4. Boursier, V., & Manna, V. (2019). Relational body identities: body image control through self-portraits – A revision of the body image control in photos questionnaire. In R. T. Gopalan (ed.), Intimacy and Developing Personal Relationships in the Virtual World (pp. 40–63). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
  5. Boursier, V., Gioia, F., & Griffiths, M. D. (2020). Objectified body consciousness, body image control in photos, and problematic social networking: The role of appearance control beliefs. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 147.
  6. Brown, Z., & Tiggemann, M. (2016). Attractive celebrity and peer images on Instagram: Effect on women’s mood and body image. Body Image, 19, 37-43.
  7. Carrotte, E. R., Prichard, I., & Lim, M. S. C. (2017). “Fitspiration” on social media: A content analysis of gendered images. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 19(3), e6368.
  8. Cash, T. F. (1994). Body-image attitudes: Evaluation, investment, and affect. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 78(3), 1168-1170.
  9. Cash, T. F. (2002). Cognitive-behavioral perspectives on body image. In T. F. Cash & T. Pruzinsky (eds.), Body image: A handbook of theory, research, and clinical practice (pp. 38-46). NY: Guilford Press.
  10. Chen, J., Ishii, M., Bater, K. L., Darrach, H., Liao, D., Huynh, P. P., Reh, I. P., Nellis, J. C., Kumar, A. R., & Ishii, L. E. (2019). Association Between the Use of Social Media and Photograph Editing Applications, Self-esteem, and Cosmetic Surgery Acceptance. JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, 21(5), 361-367.
  11. Chua, T. H. H., & Chang, L. (2016). Follow me and like my beautiful selfies: Singapore teenage girls’ engagement in self-presentation and peer comparison on social media. Computers in Human Behavior, 55, 190-197.
  12. Cohen, R., Newton-John, T., & Slater, A. (2017). The relationship between Facebook and Instagram appearance-focused activities and body image concerns in young women. Body Image, 23, 183-187.
  13. Confalonieri, E., Gatti, E., Ionio, C., & Traficante, D. (2008). Body Esteem Scale: a validation on Italian adolescents. TPM ‒ Testing, Psychometrics, Methodology in Applied Psychology, 15(3), 153-165.
  14. Coy-Dibley, I. (2016). “Digitized Dysmorphia” of the female body: the re/disfigurement of the image. Palgrave Communications, 2(1), 1-9.
  15. Cruz-Sáez, S., Pascual, A., Wlodarczyk, A., & Echeburúa, E. (2020). The effect of body dissatisfaction on disordered eating: The mediating role of self-esteem and negative affect in male and female adolescents. Journal of Health Psychology, 25(8), 1098-1108. DOI: 10.1177/135910531774873
  16. De Braganza, N., & Hausenblas, H. A. (2010). Media exposure of the ideal physique on women’s body dissatisfaction and mood: The moderating effects of ethnicity. Journal of Black Studies, 40(4), 700-716. DOI: 10.1177/0021934708317723
  17. de Vries, D. A., Peter, J., de Graaf, H., & Nikken, P. (2016). Adolescents’ social network site use, peer appearance-related feedback, and body dissatisfaction: Testing a mediation model. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 45(1), 211-224.
  18. de Vries, D. A., Peter, J., Nikken, P., & de Graaf, H. (2014). The effect of social network site use on appearance investment and desire for cosmetic surgery among adolescent boys and girls. Sex Roles, 71(9-10), 283-295.
  19. Dumas, T. M., Maxwell-Smith, M., Davis, J. P., & Giulietti, P. A. (2017). Lying or longing for likes? Narcissism, peer belonging, loneliness and normative versus deceptive like-seeking on Instagram in emerging adulthood. Computers in Human Behavior, 71, 1-10.
  20. Duncan, M. J., Al-Nakeeb, Y., Nevill, A. M., & Jones, M. V. (2006). Body dissatisfaction, body fat and physical activity in British children. International Journal of Pediatric Obesity, 1(2), 89-95.
  21. Eckler, P., Kalyango, Y., & Paasch, E. (2017). Facebook use and negative body image among US college women. Women & Health, 57(2), 249-267. DOI: 10.1080/03630242.2016.1159268
  22. Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: youth and crisis. NY: Norton & Co.
  23. Fadda, D., Scalas, L. F., Meleddu, M., & Morin, A. J. (2017). A bifactor-ESEM representation of the Questionnaire for Eudaimonic Wellbeing. Personality and Individual Differences, 116, 216-222.
  24. Fardouly, J., & Vartanian, L. R. (2015). Negative comparisons about one’s appearance mediate the relationship between Facebook usage and body image concerns. Body Image, 12, 82-88.
  25. Fardouly, J., & Vartanian, L. R. (2016). Social media and body image concerns: Current research and future directions. Current Opinion in Psychology, 9, 1-5.
  26. Fardouly, J., Diedrichs, P. C., Vartanian, L. R., & Halliwell, E. (2015). The mediating role of appearance comparisons in the relationship between media usage and self-objectification in young women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 39(4), 447-457. DOI: 10.1177/036168431558184
  27. Fox, J., & Rooney, M. C. (2015). The Dark Triad and trait self-objectification as predictors of men’s use and self-presentation behaviors on social networking sites. Personality and Individual Differences, 76, 161-165.
  28. Franzoi, S. L., & Shields, S. A. (1984). The Body Esteem Scale: Multidimensional structure and sex differences in a college population. Journal of Personality Assessment, 48(2), 173-178.
  29. Frederick, D. A., Daniels, E. A., Bates, M. E., & Tylka, T. L. (2017). Exposure to thin-ideal media affect most, but not all, women: Results from the Perceived Effects of Media Exposure Scale and open-ended responses. Body Image, 23, 188-205.
  30. Frederick, D. A., Jafary, A. M., Gruys, K., & Daniels, E. A. (2012). Surveys and the epidemiology of body image dissatisfaction. In T. F. Cash (ed.), Encyclopedia of body image and human appearance (pp. 766-774). Cambridge, MA: Academic Press.
  31. Heider, N., Spruyt, A., & De Houwer, J. (2018). Body dissatisfaction revisited: On the importance of implicit beliefs about actual and ideal body image. Psychologica Belgica, 57(4), 158-173.
  32. Hogue, J. V., & Mills, J. S. (2019). The effects of active social media engagement with peers on body image in young women. Body Image, 28, 1-5.
  33. Holland, G., & Tiggemann, M. (2016). A systematic review of the impact of the use of social networking sites on body image and disordered eating outcomes. Body Image, 17, 100-110.
  34. Instagram Inc. (2020). Terms of Use. https://help.instagram.com/581066165581870 (last accessed Dec. 1, 2020).
  35. Ivezaj, V., Saules, K. K., Hoodin, F., Alschuler, K., Angelella, N. E., Collings, A. S., Saunders-Scott, D., & Wiedemann, A. A. (2010). The relationship between binge eating and weight status on depression, anxiety, and body image among a diverse college sample: A focus on bi/multiracial women. Eating Behaviors, 11(1), 18-24.
  36. Kleemans, M., Daalmans, S., Carbaat, I., & Anschütz, D. (2018). Picture perfect: The direct effect of manipulated Instagram photos on body image in adolescent girls. Media Psychology, 21(1), 93-110. DOI: 10.1080/15213269.2016.1257392
  37. Lamp, S. J., Cugle, A., Silverman, A. L., Thomas, M. T., Liss, M., & Erchull, M. J. (2019). Picture perfect: The relationship between selfie behaviors, self-objectification, and depressive symptoms. Sex Roles, 81(11), 704-712.
  38. Lee, H. R., Lee, H. E., Choi, J., Kim, J. H., & Han, H. L. (2014). Social media use, body image, and psychological well-being: A cross-cultural comparison of Korea and the United States. Journal of Health Communication, 19(12), 1343-1358. DOI: 10.1080/10810730.2014.904022
  39. Lee, M., & Lee, H. H. (2020). Objective versus subjective comparisons of body size against thin media models, media pressures, internalization, and body satisfaction. The Social Science Journal, 57(3), 269-280.
  40. Lewis, D. M., & Cachelin, F. M. (2001). Body image, body dissatisfaction, and eating attitudes in midlife and elderly women. Eating Disorders, 9(1), 29-39. DOI: 10.1080/106402601300187713
  41. Littleton, H. L., Axsom, D., & Pury, C. L. (2005). Development of the body image concern inventory. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 43(2), 229-241.
  42. Lonergan, A. R., Bussey, K., Mond, J., Brown, O., Griffiths, S., Murray, S. B., & Mitchison, D. (2019). Me, my selfie, and I: The relationship between editing and posting selfies and body dissatisfaction in men and women. Body Image, 28, 39-43.
  43. Luca, M., Giannini, M., Gori, A., & Littleton, H. (2011). Measuring dysmorphic concern in Italy: psychometric properties of the Italian Body Image Concern Inventory (I-BICI). Body Image, 8(3), 301-305.
  44. Mabe, A. G., Forney, K. J., & Keel, P. K. (2014). Do you “like” my photo? Facebook use maintains eating disorder risk. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 47(5), 516-523.
  45. Manago, A. M., Graham, M. B., Greenfield, P. M., & Salimkhan, G. (2008). Self-presentation and gender on MySpace. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 29(6), 446-458.
  46. McComb, S. E., & Mills, J. S. (2021). Young women’s body image following upwards comparison to Instagram models: The role of physical appearance perfectionism and cognitive emotion regulation. Body Image, 38, 49-62.
  47. McComb, S. E., Gobin, K. C., & Mills, J. S. (2021). The effects of self-disclaimer Instagram captions on young women’s mood and body image: The moderating effect of participants’ own photo manipulation practices. Body Image, 38, 251-261.
  48. McLean, S. A., Jarman, H. K., & Rodgers, R. F. (2019). How do “selfies” impact adolescents’ well-being and body confidence? A narrative review. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 12, 513-521. DOI: 10.2147/PRBM.S177834
  49. McLean, S. A., Paxton, S. J., Wertheim, E. H., & Masters, J. (2015). Selfies and social media: relationships between self-image editing and photo-investment and body dissatisfaction and dietary restraint. Journal of Eating Disorders, 3(1), 1-1. DOI: 10.1186/2050-2974-3-S1-O21
  50. Meier, E. P., & Gray, J. (2013). Facebook photo activity associated with body image disturbance in adolescent girls. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 17(4), 199-206.
  51. Mendelson, B. K., Mendelson, M. J., & White, D. R. (2001). Body-esteem scale for adolescents and adults. Journal of Personality Assessment, 76(1), 90-106. DOI: 10.1207/S15327752JPA7601_6
  52. Mills, J. S., Musto, S., Williams, L., & Tiggemann, M. (2018). “Selfie” harm: Effects on mood and body image in young women. Body Image, 27, 86-92.
  53. Mills, J. S., Shannon, A., & Hogue, J. (2017). Beauty, body image, and the media. In M. Peaslee Levine (ed.), Perception of beauty (pp. 145-157). London, UK: IntechOpen.
  54. Mond, J., Mitchison, D., Latner, J., Hay, P., Owen, C., & Rodgers, B. (2013). Quality of life impairment associated with body dissatisfaction in a general population sample of women. BMC Public Health, 13(1), 1-11. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-920
  55. Nelson, S. C., Kling, J., Wängqvist, M., Frisén, A., & Syed, M. (2018). Identity and the body: Trajectories of body esteem from adolescence to emerging adulthood. Developmental Psychology, 54(6), 1159-1171.
  56. Neumark-Sztainer, D., Paxton, S. J., Hannan, P. J., Haines, J., & Story, M. (2006). Does body satisfaction matter? Five-year longitudinal associations between body satisfaction and health behaviors in adolescent females and males. Journal of Adolescent Health, 39(2), 244-251.
  57. Paxton, S. J., Neumark-Sztainer, D., Hannan, P. J., & Eisenberg, M. E. (2006). Body dissatisfaction prospectively predicts depressive mood and low self-esteem in adolescent girls and boys. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 35(4), 539-549.
  58. Quittkat, H. L., Hartmann, A. S., Düsing, R., Buhlmann, U., & Vocks, S. (2019). Body dissatisfaction, importance of appearance, and body appreciation in men and women over the lifespan. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10, 864.
  59. Ridgway, J. L., & Clayton, R. B. (2016). Instagram Unfiltered: Exploring associations of body image satisfaction, Instagram #selfie posting, and negative romantic relationship outcomes. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 19(1), 2-7.
  60. Riva, G. (2008). Psicologia dei nuovi media. Bologna: il Mulino.
  61. Saffran, K., Fitzsimmons‐Craft, E. E., Kass, A. E., Wilfley, D. E., Taylor, C. B., & Trockel, M. (2016). Facebook usage among those who have received treatment for an eating disorder in a group setting. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 49(8), 764-777.
  62. Schur, E. A., Sanders, M., & Steiner, H. (2000). Body dissatisfaction and dieting in young children. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 27(1), 74-82.
  63. Sherlock, M., & Wagstaff, D. L. (2019). Exploring the relationship between frequency of Instagram use, exposure to idealized images, and psychological well-being in women. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 8(4), 482- 490.
  64. Shin, K., You, S., & Kim, E. (2017). Sociocultural pressure, internalization, BMI, exercise, and body dissatisfaction in Korean female college students. Journal of Health Psychology, 22(13), 1712-1720. DOI: 10.1177/1359105316634450
  65. Sica, L. S., Di Palma, T., & Aleni Sestito L. (2011). Virtual Identity: Risk or Resource? A Study about Effects of Using Social Network and Multi-User Virtual Environment (Muve) on Processes of Identity Construction of Emerging Adults. In Proceedings of the Future of Education Conference (pp. 180-184). Milan: Simonelli, University Press.
  66. Statista (2021). Distribution of Instagram users worldwide as of April 2021, by age group. -- https://www.statista.com/statistics/325587/instagram-global-age-group (last accessed Dec. 1, 2020).
  67. Stice, E., & Shaw, H. E. (2002). Role of body dissatisfaction in the onset and maintenance of eating pathology. A synthesis of research findings. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 53(5), 985- 993. DOI: 10.1016/S0022-3999(02)00488-9
  68. Taylor, Z. E., Doane, L. D., & Eisenberg, N. (2014). Transitioning from high school to college: Relations of social support, ego-resiliency, and maladjustment during emerging adulthood. Emerging Adulthood, 2(2), 105-115. DOI: 10.1177/2167696813506885
  69. Thompson, J. K., Heinberg, L., Altabe, M., & Tantleff-Dunn, S. (1999). Exacting beauty: Theory, assessment, and treatment of body image disturbance. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
  70. Tiggemann, M., & Slater, A. (2017). Facebook and body image concern in adolescent girls: A prospective study. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 50(1), 80-83.
  71. Tiggemann, M., & Zaccardo, M. (2015). “Exercise to be fit, not skinny”: The effect of fitspiration imagery on women’s body image. Body Image, 15, 61-67.
  72. Tiggemann, M., Hayden, S., Brown, Z., & Veldhuis, J. (2018). The effect of Instagram “likes” on women’s social comparison and body dissatisfaction. Body Image, 26, 90-97.
  73. Verrastro, V., Liga, F., Cuzzocrea, F., & Gugliandolo, M. C. (2020). Fear the Instagram: beauty stereotypes, body image and Instagram use in a sample of male and female adolescents. Qwerty-Open and Interdisciplinary Journal of Technology, Culture and Education, 15(1), 31-49. DOI: 10.30557/QW000021
  74. Waterman, A. S., Schwartz, S. J., Zamboanga, B. L., Ravert, R. D., Williams, M. K., Bede Agocha, V., Kim, S. Y., & Brent Donnellan, M. (2010). The Questionnaire for Eudaimonic Well-Being: Psychometric properties, demographic comparisons, and evidence of validity. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 5(1), 41-61. DOI: 10.1080/17439760903435208
  75. You, S., Shin, K., & Kim, E. K. (2018). The effects of sociocultural pressures and exercise frequency on the body esteem of adolescent girls in Korea. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 27(1), 26-33.

Luigia Simona Sica, L’identità corporea digitalizzata: l’utilizzo dei social media nella costruzione dell’immagine di Sé di adolescenti e giovani adulti in "PSICOLOGIA DI COMUNITA’" 2/2022, pp 34-55, DOI: 10.3280/PSC2022-002003