IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/palcom/v11y2024i1d10.1057_s41599-024-02960-3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A diary study investigating the differential impacts of Instagram content on youths’ body image

Author

Listed:
  • Hannah C. Glaser

    (University of Twente)

  • Sikke R. Jansma

    (University of Twente)

  • Hanneke Scholten

    (University of Twente)

Abstract

Through social media like Instagram, users are constantly exposed to “perfect” lives and thin-ideal bodies. Research in this field has predominantly focused on the time youth spend on Instagram and the effects on their body image, oftentimes uncovering negative effects. Little research has been done on the root of the influence: the consumed content itself. Hence, this study aims to qualitatively uncover the types of content that trigger youths’ body image. Using a diary study, 28 youth (Mage = 21.86; 79% female) reported 140 influential body image Instagram posts over five days, uncovering trigger points and providing their motivations, emotions, and impacts on body image. Based on these posts, four content categories were distinguished: Thin Ideal, Body Positivity, Fitness, and Lifestyle. These different content types seemed to trigger different emotions regarding body image, and gender distinctions in content could be noticed. The study increased youths’ awareness of Instagram’s influence on their mood and body perception. The findings imply that the discussion about the effects of social media on body image should be nuanced, taking into account different types of content and users. Using this information, future interventions could focus on the conscious use of social media rather than merely limiting its use.

Suggested Citation

  • Hannah C. Glaser & Sikke R. Jansma & Hanneke Scholten, 2024. "A diary study investigating the differential impacts of Instagram content on youths’ body image," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-13, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:11:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-024-02960-3
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-024-02960-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41599-024-02960-3
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41599-024-02960-3?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Elena Bozzola & Giulia Spina & Rino Agostiniani & Sarah Barni & Rocco Russo & Elena Scarpato & Antonio Di Mauro & Antonella Vita Di Stefano & Cinthia Caruso & Giovanni Corsello & Annamaria Staiano, 2022. "The Use of Social Media in Children and Adolescents: Scoping Review on the Potential Risks," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-33, August.
    2. Pilar Aparicio-Martinez & Alberto-Jesus Perea-Moreno & María Pilar Martinez-Jimenez & María Dolores Redel-Macías & Claudia Pagliari & Manuel Vaquero-Abellan, 2019. "Social Media, Thin-Ideal, Body Dissatisfaction and Disordered Eating Attitudes: An Exploratory Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-16, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sari Castrén & Terhi Mustonen & Krista Hylkilä & Niko Männikkö & Maria Kääriäinen & Kirsimarja Raitasalo, 2022. "Risk Factors for Excessive Social Media Use Differ from Those of Gambling and Gaming in Finnish Youth," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-12, February.
    2. Sarah E. Domoff & Stacey B. Armstrong & Heide Rollings & Amy Mancuso & Mary B. Pacheco & Russell Fridson & Carol A. Janney, 2024. "Problematic and Harmful Social Media Use among Adolescents Receiving Intensive Psychiatric Care," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(10), pages 1-14, October.
    3. Lavinia Maria Pop & Magdalena Iorga & Raluca Iurcov, 2022. "Body-Esteem, Self-Esteem and Loneliness among Social Media Young Users," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-14, April.
    4. Núria Aragay & Vicenç Vallès & Irene Ramos-Grille & Gemma Garrido & Enric Gamundi Grimalt & Elena Miranda Ruiz & Esther Jovell-Fernández, 2023. "Differences in Screen Addiction in the Past 15 Years," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(1), pages 1-10, December.
    5. An T. Vuong & Hannah K. Jarman & Jo R. Doley & Siân A. McLean, 2021. "Social Media Use and Body Dissatisfaction in Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Thin- and Muscular-Ideal Internalisation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-14, December.
    6. Jane Lu Hsu & Rainbow Tsai-Ling Hung & Melchior Antoine, 2021. "Investigating the Linkages between BMI, Body Image, and SATAQ among Young Asian Females," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-11, July.
    7. Jessy Siongers & Bram Spruyt, 2024. "Navigating the Social Media Seas: Understanding the Complex Relationship between Social Media Use and Adolescent Well-being," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 17(1), pages 177-196, February.
    8. Przemysław Seweryn Kasiak & Natalia Adamczyk & Alicja Monika Jodczyk & Aleksandra Kaproń & Anna Lisowska & Artur Mamcarz & Daniel Śliż, 2022. "COVID-19 Pandemic Consequences among Individuals with Eating Disorders on a Clinical Sample in Poland—A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-12, July.
    9. Guillermo Gómez Delgado & Antonio Ponce Rojo & Jaime Eduardo Ramírez Mireles & Felipe de Jesús Carmona-Moreno & Claudia Cecilia Flores Salcedo & Aurea Mercedes Hernández Romero, 2024. "Suicide Risk Factors in High School Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(8), pages 1-25, August.
    10. Marija Draženović & Tea Vukušić Rukavina & Lovela Machala Poplašen, 2023. "Impact of Social Media Use on Mental Health within Adolescent and Student Populations during COVID-19 Pandemic: Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-22, February.
    11. Mario J. Valladares-Garrido & Darwin A. León-Figueroa & Cinthia Karina Picón-Reátegui & Abigaíl García-Vicente & Danai Valladares-Garrido & Virgilio E. Failoc-Rojas & César Johan Pereira-Victorio, 2023. "Prevalence and Factors Associated with Eating Disorders in Military First Line of Defense against COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study during the Second Epidemic Wave in Peru," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-17, February.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:11:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-024-02960-3. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.nature.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.