Body Image and Social Media

Abstract

Body image is the perception as well as thought of people regarding body shape and size. In today's digital world, people especially women are highly concerned with their body shape and size. The evidence-based report has shown that in the UK there are a majority of women as well as teenagers who are dissatisfied with their body shape, that leads to the feeling of body shaming. Most of the teenagers in the UK are the sufferer of the depression and anxiety led by their dissatisfaction regarding the figure and body structure, they have. In the UK, there one out of four women suffer from body dysmorphia, in which they feel ashamed, embarrassed and anxious regarding their body shape, size and appearance. Evidence-based studies in the UK have shown that the majority of the young population, especially girls and young women in society are more concerned about body image as well as appearance. From the overall discussion, it can be concluded that the researcher can highlight the impact of social media on body image of young population. The researcher is also able to highlight how the social media develop eating disorder in women especially in the teenager’s girls by changing the perception regarding their body image and appearance. Through the above-mentioned discussion, it can be concluded that the impact of social media on body image leads to the condition of Body dysmorphia. If you require assistance with your psychology dissertation, then consider seeking psychology dissertation help.

Chapter 1:

Introduction:

Social media plays important roles in changing the perception of young women and teenager girls regarding their body image. Social media not only associated with exposing adolescent girls as well as young women to the recent fashion trend and beauty standard but also leads to eating disorder as well as the development of body dysmorphia. This research is going to discuss how social media impact on the overall thoughts as well as the perception of the women regarding the size and shape of their body. Through using the peer-reviewed articles that are relevant to the research topic, this research study is going to complete the research by conducting each step-in effective manner. In this research, the researcher will discuss the review of literature that are selected, research methodology and analysis of the secondary database.

Background:

In the dazzling digital world, people prioritise living their lives in term of impressing the social screen and the online audience. It is common in case of teenagers as well as young women that they struggle on social media to get more likes, comments and shares on their photos and videos. In the UK, the numbers of people suffering from the perception of body shaming and dissatisfaction about their body shape and size. Evidence-based studies have shown that almost the third women and teenager in the UK are ashamed of their figure and body shape while comparing them with the idealised body image on social media. In this context, Fardouly and Vartanian (2016), mentioned that the perception of feeling ashamed regarding the body shape and size poses adverse impact on t mental as well as emotional aspects.

From the database of Mental Health Foundation (MHF), it is seen that, a large number of young populations in the UK who are highly depressed regarding either body structure and shape, that make them highly prevalent to the mental disability and physical disturbances. In addition to the MHF has also stated that in the UK many young women have changed their eating habit. In which they reduce the quantity of the food they use to take per day. The changing eating habit poses adverse impact on the mental and physical condition of the people, in this context Burnette et al. (2017) mentioned that social media plays important roles in developing the perception of body dysmorphia in women especially in the teenagers. Body dysmorphia is a psychological condition in which the person is highly obsessed with an idealistic body image on the social media in such a manner that he or she always find defects in his or her appearance. In the UK, there one out of four women suffer from body dysmorphia, in which they feel ashamed, embarrassed and anxious regarding their body shape, size and appearance. Evidence-based studies in the UK have shown that the majority of the young population, especially girls and young women in society are more concerned about body image as well as appearance. As mentioned by Dumas and Desroches (2019), social media is now the reason behind low self-esteem of the majority of the women, due to the comparison they do with the idealism figure on the social media. Overall 31% of the teenagers in the UK are suffering from body dysmorphia, that leads to the development of dissatisfaction, mental instability and anxiety in them.

In addition to this, it is also seen that in 35% of the teenagers within the age group 13-19 year has changed their eating habit to unhealthy eating styles that pose an adverse impact on their physical and biological system (Slater et al. 2017). Evidence-based reports have shown that in the UK more than 40% of the teenagers and women are ashamed about their body images and body shape, that restricts them to attend any social, gathering and family occasion. A recent survey in the UK has shown that nearly 35% of the young women feel depression and dissatisfaction regarding their body size, figure and shape every day which not only pose an adverse impact on their physical as well as mental stability leads them to suicidal attempts.

Research aim

This research aims to discuss the impact on social media on body image and ho it leads to eating disorder and body dysmorphia.

Research objectives:

To evaluate the impact of social media on the body image

To determine how social media leads to the perception of the body dysmorphia

To analyse how the perception of body image leads to an eating disorder in women

To recommend suitable strategies to eliminate the adverse impact of social media on body image

Research Question:

What are the impacts of social media on the body image?

How does social media lead to developing body dysmorphia in women?

How does the perception of body image lead to an eating disorder in women?

What are the suitable strategies to eliminate the adverse impact of social media on body image?

Summary:

This chapter has introduced the research topic by using the proper example and evidence. The chapter has depicted the background of the research topic in terms of outlining the overall concept of the research topic in front of the learners. In addition to this, the chapter also discussed the research questions and research aims and the objectives that have developed the understanding of the research gaols which the researcher is going to achieve through meeting research objectives.

Chapter 2: Literature review:

Introduction:

In this chapter, the researcher is going to use relevant resources in terms of discussing the research topic. In addition to this, the research is going to use the theories ad models in term of discussing that, how the social media pose an important impact on thoughts and perception of women regarding their body image.

Concept of body image:

As stated by Treneman-Evans (2017) body image is the perception as well as thought of people regarding body shape and size. In today's digital world, people especially women are highly concerned with their body shape and size. The evidence-based report has shown that in the UK there are a majority of women as well as teenagers who are dissatisfied with their body shape, that leads to the feeling of body shaming. Most of the teenagers in the UK are the sufferer of the depression and anxiety led by their dissatisfaction regarding the figure and body structure, they have. As mentioned by Bennett et al. (2019), it is seen that, on today’s highly digital world, majority of the teenagers and young women are highly obsessed with the idealism body in the social media such as Facebook and twitter that is unrealistic as well as unattainable. From the recent survey conducted on the impact of social media on teenagers on the UK have shown that more than 31% teenagers, as well as women in this country, are highly concerned with their body image that pose an adverse impact on the behaviour, thoughts decision making proses.

There is third British teenager in the UK who is highly disappointed about the body and figure while comparing t with the preferable body image in the Facebook, as mentioned by Ahmad et al. (2019), the depression and anxiety that are developed due to the dissatisfaction about own body image, the women can attempt suicidal attempt. In the UK many women feel ashamed to wear tight jeans and t-shirt that due to the thought that they look odd in these outfits. As mentioned by Tiggemann and Anderberg (2019), many women in the UK cannot attend any party and social gathering due to feel asked about their looks as well as their body. The overall perception of the women regarding their body pose an adverse impact on the physical and mental condition of the women but also the behaviour of them. The report of the Mental Health Foundation has stated that perception of women regarding their body image makes them depressed, psychopath and anxious (Fardouly and Holland, 2018). In most of the women especially teenagers spend most of their times in seeing mirror and checking flaws and error in their appearance, which has an adverse impact on their decision making and positive thoughts. In the UK there are more than 40% women who are highly obsessed with the body image of the ideal person on the social medical a and they intend to look like them which is sometimes unrealistic as well as impossible. Therefore, it can be stated the body image is yeh precision of people regarding the structure and shape of their body that develops the feeling of body shaming and dissatisfaction regarding their figure.

Concept of the impact of social media on body image:

As mentioned by Goodyear et al. (2018), social media plays important roles in bringing changes in the thoughts, perception and feeling of women as well as teenagers reading their body image. On social media, people are exposed recent fashion trend, the attractive body structure of the different model and changing cultural trend that impacts on the perception and behaviour of the people in such a manner that they desperate needs to have that figure end body shape as seen in the social media. In the UK, there are lots of cases of the body shaming and depression regarding own body images and body structure in which teenagers and women are the main sufferers. Here social media such as facebook, Instagram and twitter become the way to grabbing appreciation regarding the body size and looks by both online audiences. This is the reason why in the UK majority teenagers, as well as young women, invest most of their times in clicking their images and correcting them for posting in the Facebook in term of grabbing appreciation that brings the feeling of accomplishment as well as community acceptance for these people. On the contrary, Fardouly and Holland (2018) argued that sometimes social media can be contributed to provide the healthy and fit body as well as the figure to women by making effective changes in their regular diet plan as well as regular exercise in a positive way.

Although there is a positive impact of the social media on health and wellbeing of people, the impact of the social media on the body image in case of teenagers and young women is worsening day-by-day. The MHF report has shown that in the UK there are many cases in which the teenagers have committed suicides due to severe depression regarding their body structure and body shape. In addition to this, while comparing with the body of other people on Facebook who are more population in the community due to their attractive look, people, especially young girls and women are highly depressed. As mentioned by Richardson (2018), due to the adverse impact of the social media on perception regarding the body image the, young women often make them isolated from the society that not only impacts on their behaviour, but also impact on their decision-making process and the interactive skill. Even, it is seen that the women who have the recurrent thoughts, as well as feeling regarding the body shaming and dissatisfaction regarding own figure, are prevalent to chronic mental illness such as dementia, dissociative identity disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Concept of body dysmorphia and eating disorder:

Body Dysmorphism is the psychological condition, in which people are highly concerned with their looks and appearance in front of the social media audience (Moss, 2018). Women and teenagers are more prevalent to this condition in which they regularly check the mirror for hours and groom them in term of looking good. In the UK, there are more than 40% of young women who are the victim of body dysmorphism, in which they compare the looks and body with the idealism figure on the social, media. In this condition, the women get depressed as well as irrigated after identifying that they are not able to attend the figure and looks that they prefer most. As mentioned by the impact of social media on the perception of people regarding the body image lead to the eating disorder and dysmorphic condition (David and Warrier, 2019). In case of women and teenagers in the UK, they have changed their eating habits due to led by the body dysmorphic condition, in which their food choice is not suitable for their body to get enough nutrition. Therefore, the body dysmorphic condition is strongly associated with the poor physical condition of people, in which they do not take proper foods and n tuition due to the fear that they would put on extra weight. This is the reason why the majority of the women, as well as teenagers in the UK, suffers from chronic physical as well as mental illness.

Theories related to the psychology of women as well as teenagers regarding their body image: A behavioural theory of depression:

Based on the concept of this theory, depression is the result of the interaction of the psychological and physical consequences, such as poor social support, social isolation, lack of physical fitness and lack of self-esteem. In case women, as well as teenagers, suffer from body dysmorphic, the faces depression as a result of the poor social appreciation of their body and figure by the online audience, lack of satisfaction regarding the body structure they have and failure in attaining body shape and size that they prefer. As stated by Kakish et al. (2018), depression is the common result of adverse impact on social media on the human mind, which n not only leads to lack of proper decision-making skill but also interfere with the positive and creative thoughts in people. The report from Mental Health Foundation (MHF) has stated that the reason behind the high level of depression and lack of self-esteem in teenagers as well as young women is their high concern and insecurity regarding their body shape, size and looks, in most of the cases in the UK, the teenagers and women maintain the distance from social gathering as well as any social, occasions as they think that they will look odd in the occasion while wearing their favourite clothes.

On the contrary Davies et al. (2020) argued that depression is not only associated with poor psychological stability rather it is associated with a lack of psychosocial fitness a well as any biological issues. In this context it can be stated that depressive behaviour in case of teenagers as well as in case of young women may be due to the result of an eating disorder that leads to poor food and nutrition intake into the body, that is associated with the development of different chronic physical health issues. In the UK, there is trend ‘Zero figure’, which affects the perception and mentality of most of the UK based teenagers as well as young women who skip their meals or eat less to become slim. The report from MHF has stated that in the UK, most of the teenagers and women who suffer from chronic physical health issues such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, pulmonary illness and respiratory disease, are the victim of poor nutrition intake regularly that not only impact on their physical health but also pose an adverse impact on their mental as well as emotional health (Yamout et al. 2019). The behavioural theory of depression has stated that depression is the result of poor interaction among the behavioural, psychological and physical aspects, which makes it difficult for people to have strong decision-making power as well as roper problem-solving skill. In this context, of the people in the UK needs to get of the adverse impact of the social media, they need to go through proper psychotherapies and counselling in terms of improving the overall connection between body and mind.

Literature Gap:

Although the selected literature can provide proper information regarding the impact of social media on the body image of people, the articles cannot highlight that how the adverse impact affect the balance between the body and mind in human being. In addition to this, the peer-reviewed articles that are selected although highlight the body dysmorphia and eating disorder it is unable to provide sufficient data on how these eating disorders of people impact on their behavioural expression. The peer-reviewed articles help discuss the overall mental condition and changes in perception of young generation due to the impact of social media, but they are unable to highlight what strategies need to be taken by the victim in terms of dealing with the adverse impact of social media.

Summary:

This chapter has reviewed the peer-reviewed articles that are selected in terms of collecting secondary information about the research topic. Through using relevant theory, this chapter has discussed how social media pose an adverse impact on the body image of people, especially of teenagers and women. Through discussing the gap in the literature, this chapter has highlighted the flaws and drawback of literature that make these articles unable to highlight some aspects of this study.

Chapter 3: Research methods:

Introduction:

This chapter researcher has discussed the entire processes that are involved in conducting the entire research. In this chapter, the researcher has depicted the systematic steps that are involved in the research process. By discussing research design, philosophy, approach and data collection methods this chapter has outlined the entire process in which the entire research is progressed and completed.

Research onion:

In any research onion is one of the most important tools that is associated with describing the important steps that are associated with the completion of the entire research. This tool highlights the important aspects of this research such as choice, strategies, approaches, time horizon, philosophies, techniques and effective procedures.

Research philosophy:

There are three types of research philosophy, such as positivism, post-positivism and interpretivism. Here the researcher has selected interpretivism, through which it is possible for the researcher to interpret the data that are collected from the peer-reviewed articles effectively to develop new themes. Through using the interpretivism philosophy, the researcher is able to analyse the database the collected from articles in a better manner that will assist the study to highlight the adverse impact of the social, media on the perception of teenagers as well as women regarding their body image.

Research design:

Out of the three types of research design, the researcher has selected in this study the exploratory research design that assisted the researcher in exploring the relevant themes on the research topic. Through using the research philosophy. The researcher is able to discuss the research topic in comprehensive manner that assists the study to meet the research objectives.

Research approach:

There are two types of research approaches such as deductive and inductive. In this research, the researcher has selected the inductive research approaches which have assisted the researcher in terms of developing new models as well as themes in term of discussing et researcher topic comprehensively.

Inclusion criteria:

Peer-reviewed articles that are selected are from the last five years which assisted the researcher to collect current database regarding the research topic

Relevant articles are selected by the researcher in terms of assuring the accuracy of the database collected from the articles

Selected articles do not contain any vague information that assures study that all the information used in this study are accurate as well as relevant

Articles are selected from relevant as well as authentic souse and assure the quality as well as the accuracy of the database.

Exclusion criteria:

Articles that are more than five-year-old are rejected from the list

Articles that contain vague as well as irrelevant information are not selected

Articles or journals that are from the irrelevant sources are not selected the relevant resources from the research study

Some of the peer-reviewed articles that are not easily accessible are rejected from the selection list

Data collection method:

In this research study, secondary data collection method has been used in which peer-reviewed articles are selected from the relevant resources in term of collecting accurate data regarding the research topic.

Ethical consideration;

The researcher has assured that all the articles that are selected used in the research purpose only but not for commercial purpose. In addition to this, the researcher has taken consent from publishers of the articles in terms of using them in this study. The researcher also assures that all database that is used in this study are genuine and accurate.

Research limitation:

The researcher has faced time and fund limitation while conducting this research study. Due to the insufficiency of the budget, many articles cannot be accessed for this study. In addition to this due to time issues, the researcher is unable to include more database in terms of assuring the accuracy of the database.

Chapter 4: Discussion:

Themes:

Theme 1: Social media poses adverse impact on the perception of people regarding their body image that develops eating disorder:

The evidence-based report has suggested the young population are concerned about their looks, appearance and figure in terms of grabbing appreciation from online viewers in social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. As mentioned by Flannery et al. (2020.), most of the young people in today's dazzling digital world, prefer to live their life in the virtual, in which views, comments and likes of online audiences on their photos and videos mean a lot to them. In the UK there are many teenagers as well as young women who are suffering from adverse impact of social media on the body image. Social media poses an impact on eating habits and food intake level of the young generation (Flannery et al. 2020). The Report from Medical Health Foundation (MHF) has stated that, majority of the young population especially teenagers in the UK are so fascinated towards the idealism figure and body shape in the social media, that they reduce their food intake even skip their meals in terms of becoming slim. As a result of these malpractices, women and teenagers suffer from eating disorder which not only impacts on their physical health but also impact on the adversely on this mental and emotional health. As mentioned by Kakish et al. (2018), due to eating disorder, many women and teenagers in the UK suffer from chronic diseases such as pulmonary disease, respiratory disease and cardiovascular disease. In the UK< there are 31% of the teenagers who suffer from the eating disorder due to their intention of being slim and reducing their body weight to get the preferable body image. Eating disorder is common illness in the majority of young population who are obsessed with their ideal body image and look on social media, Due to the eating disorder, people have a lower intake of nutrition and food that reduces their immunity power. In addition to this, eating disorder leads to the development of several biological issues such as poor digestion, respiratory issues, gastritis, the poor balance between body and mind.

Theme 2: Dissatisfaction regarding own body image leads to the condition of body dysmorphia:

Body dysmorphia is a mental condition in which people are so concerned about their looks and appearance that they check the mirror for hours in terms of finding flaws on body images. As mentioned by Kakish et al. (2018), body dysmorphia is one of the common mental illness in the women as well as in young teenagers, who suffer from insecurity regarding their looks and appearance on t social media. They live in the virtual world and through the appreciation of the online audience on their images and video on social media, they gain the feeling of accomplishment and social acceptance. In the UK, the retire than 40% women and teenagers who are the victim of body dysmorphia. Evidence-based studies have sated that, this psychological condition is associated with poor decision-making ability, lack of problem-solving skills and poor cognitive skill.

Theme 3: the overall impact of social media on the body media changes the thoughts and positive approach of people:

Social media changes the overall thinking process of the young generation. They begin to live in an online world rather than having a realistic approach and thoughts (Kakish et al. 2018). Most of the teenagers and young women in the UK are highly obsessed with their preferable body images and appearance on social media which is sometimes unattainable and unrealistic. In term of attaining the body images, people change their lifestyles, eating habits and regular activities which impact not only on their physical activities but also on their thoughts and mentality. The report from MHF has shown that people who are largely exposed to social media have adverse behavioural changes such as they become anxious, depressed, pessimistic and lack of proper common sense. Though impacting on the perception of people regarding their body images, the social media changes the positive thoughts in them into a negative one, that makes adverse changes in their activities as well as behaviour.

Chapter 5: Conclusion:

From the overall discussion, it can be concluded that the researcher can highlight the impact of social media on body image of young population. The researcher is also able to highlight how the social media develop eating disorder in women especially in the teenager’s girls by changing the perception regarding their body image and appearance. Through the above-mentioned discussion, it can be concluded that the impact of social media on body image leads to the condition of Body dysmorphia.

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