Psychology: Instagram and Self-Image

The association between social media and factors of self-image has become a popular research topic as we have seen a rapid increase in social media use over the last couple decades. Prior research has revealed the negative impact of using social media on one’s self-perception, well-being, and self-image (Booker et al., 2018; Burrow & Rainone, 2017; Hawi & Samaha, 2017; Sagrera et al., 2022; Tiggemann & Anderberg, 2019). We wanted to test if time spent on Instagram as well as following count was associated with self-esteem and body-image issues. We first hypothesized that more time spent on Instagram would be associated with lower self-esteem and lower body-image. Additionally, we hypothesized that a higher following count would be associated with lower self-esteem and lower body-image. Our tested sample consisted of undergraduate students from Belmont University. Every participant was asked to complete an Instagram usage questionnaire, which would then be correlated to their scores on the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Body Image Self-Assessment. Results will be presented at SURS