Social Media Ups Negative Perception of Bodies in Girls: Study

Toronto: While social media like Facebook and Instagram blurs the difference between reality and fantasy, how young women interact with online images can affect the way they feel about their own bodies, say researchers. The study showed that young women who actively engage with media images of friends who they think more attractive than themselves are more likely to feel worse about their own appearance later. “The results showed that these young adult women felt more dissatisfied with their bodies. They felt worse about their own appearance after looking at social media pages of someone that they perceived to be more attractive than them,” said Jennifer Mills, Associate Professor from the York University in Canada. Particularly in this age group (18 to mid-20’s) appearance is very important, and women care a great deal about how they are perceived by other people. They are also most likely to use social media, according to the researchers. (IANS)

Also Read: Social media use linked to depression, loneliness: Study