Date

7-15-2024

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Master of Science in Psychology (MS)

Chair

Brian Kelley

Keywords

Body Dissatisfaction, Self-compassion, photo manipulation, selfies, selfie-taking, body appreciation, social media.

Disciplines

Psychology

Abstract

Social media has become one of the most widely consumed platforms worldwide—specifically, the act of taking pictures of oneself otherwise known as selfies. Previous research has demonstrated links to body dissatisfaction and eating disorders about social media usage. There is a lack of research on the selfie-editing process, from taking to selecting and editing the pictures before uploading them. In turn, social media may become a risk factor for young individuals engaging in selfies and experiencing body dissatisfaction. Given how rapidly the use of social media has evolved within society, there is a constant need to address and overcome body image concerns among children and adults. Recent evidence indicates a rise in body image concerns during adolescence to early adulthood. Research is lacking in the aspect of understanding the impact on both genders. The current research will (a) examine the use and frequency of selfie editing, specifically photo-based behaviors like photo manipulation (PM) and photo investment (PI), (b) examine gender differences in photo-based behaviors and body dissatisfaction (BD), (c) investigate how self-compassion (SC) helps mitigate body image and photo-based behaviors, and (d) understanding the lived experiences of individuals who engaged in selfie editing behaviors and experience body dissatisfaction. Results from 111 individuals with men (n = 34) and women (n = 77) suggested that males and females engage more in photo-related behavior and body image concerns. However, females seem to engage more than males. Self-compassion also correlates with body dissatisfaction but only within females. Self-compassion is associated with higher levels of photo-based behavior; individuals with higher self-compassion are more likely to engage in photo-based behaviors. Future research should investigate which self-compassion practices are more effective in reducing body image concerns.

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