Social Media and Body Image

Social media is an ever-growing phenomenon, and while having the world at our fingertips proves convenient, it also has the potential to cause harm in the form of mental distress. Several studies have investigated whether the use of social media may be linked to body image issues. The present study further explored the potential link between social media and body image, specifically looking for a correlation between the number of hours spent on social media and intensity of body image concerns. Adult participants were recruited through the social media platforms of Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, and Facebook. Participants completed a survey about their social media use, as well as about their feelings regarding body image through the Social Media Appearance Preoccupation Survey (SMAPS; Zimmer-Gembeck et al., 2021). The results of this study will be discussed along with their implications