Women can build positive body image by controlling what they view on social media
Back to Topic
Click to Print
Useful Websites
Glossary Term Selection
Rachel Cohen, University of Technology Sydney; Amy Slater, University of the West of England, and Jasmine Fardouly, Macquarie University
Social media use is often described as being problematic for mental health and body image. But is all social media use bad?
Our new research shows that viewing body positive Instagram content may actually improve women’s body image, at least in the short term.
Read more: The ideal female body type is getting even harder to attain
With more awareness, social media users might be able to curate a social media environment that promotes positive body image by unfollowing or blocking idealised accounts, and following more body positive accounts – possibly including more Celeste Barbour – on Instagram.
Chasing ‘the ideal’
Body image concerns are common among young women and can have serious negative consequences. Most young women use social media daily, and research suggests that viewing idealised appearance-focused content is associated with p...
Want to see the rest of this article?
Would you like to see the rest of this article and all the other benefits that Issues Online can provide with?
- Useful related articles
- Video and multimedia references
- Statistical information and reference material
- Glossary of terms
- Key Facts and figures
- Related assignments
- Resource material and websites
