Month: August 2023

At this stage it was crucial to have an in-depth dialogue with men of different ages, locations and backgrounds. I organised an online seminar with four men from different regions, which not only helped to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the various perspectives, but also to test the general adaptability of The Box project. The Chinese men were from Shanghai, London and Los Angeles and ranged in age from 27 to 32.

Key insights and perceptions

• Two-way influence

Although men have a strong influence on women’s body image, it is a two-way influence.

Interactivity and power dynamics: both men and women influence each other’s body image. However, power dynamics tend to favour men, especially in traditional cultures and social structures.

• Education and Eyesight

Most malicious comments and prejudices stem from limitations in education and vision.

Role of education and media: Education and media often reinforce gender stereotypes and body image expectations, which need to be addressed through educational reform and media literacy.

• “Decent” and dress

Men have some expectations of what is “appropriate” for women to wear, but this is a vague and subjective concept.

Cultural relativism and uncertainty: The term “decency” is inherently culturally and socially biased. Therefore, education and public discourse should focus on how to be more inclusive and open about how women dress.

• Intimacy and judgement

When judging women, they distinguish between women with whom they have intimate relationships and those with whom they do not.

Personal Relationships and Societal Expectations: This perspective reveals that societal expectations of women’s body image may still exist even in private relationships.

• Historical and Cultural Factors

Historical and cultural factors, such as Confucianism and polygamy, have influenced the views of modern Chinese men.

The lasting impact of history: Understanding historical and cultural factors is key to understanding current prejudices and attitudes. This provides a deeper cultural and historical context for the project.

• Perceptions of ‘The Box’ project

Most people felt that the impact of the project on society was likely to be limited.

Realistic and aspirational: Whilst the aims of the project may be noble, more practicality and relevance is needed to achieve widespread social acceptance.

Through this in-depth analysis, we have been able to gain a fuller understanding of how men perceive female body image, and the challenges and opportunities that ‘The Box’ project may face in this context. These insights will contribute to the further development and improvement of the project.

When it comes to women’s body image, gender differences and social context combine to shape individual perceptions and experiences. Through a dialogue with a Chinese Gen Z couple, MBB and Jiachen, we were able to gain insights into their respective perspectives from different gender perspectives. This paper will focus on the following themes: the impact of social media, social evaluation and personal freedom, and the representation of gender differences in body image issues.

The interviewee’s profile 1.

Name: MBB

Gender: Female Work: Media

Age: 24 (born in 1999)

Nationality: Chinese

Professional Background: Sociology

Reason for interview: Gen Z women who have just graduated from university

The interviewee’s profile 2.

Name: Jiachen

Sex: Male Job: Auto industry self media

Age: 23 (born in 2000)

Nationality: China

Professional Background: Sociology

Reason for interview: Gen Z male who just graduated from university

• Social media: the role of a double-edged sword

MBB bluntly stated that social media has an impact on her shopping and body image. What looks good on a model may not look the same when she buys it, which makes her self-doubt. Jiachen, on the other hand, looks at the issue more from a male perspective, and believes that the bad vibes on social media inhibit the space for women to display confidence. Social media is a powerful influencer but also a massive body image distorter. Not only does it put pressure on women, it can also exacerbate gender inequality.

In my project ‘The Box’, while it is possible to spread a more positive body image through social media, there is a need to look at how social media may exacerbate the problem and provide solutions accordingly.

• Social Perceptions and Individual Freedom

MBB emphasises the importance of women as individuals, even in the face of social and elder judgement, and Jiachen argues that men’s judgement of women often reflects their own education and qualities, rather than the women themselves. The tension between societal perceptions and individual freedom is particularly evident here. There is a conflict between society’s expectations of women’s body image and individual women’s expectations of themselves.

I might consider creating modules on how to cope with social pressures and judgements in order to help women develop a more positive and independent body image.

• Gender differences: male support versus female assertiveness

MBB stated that she felt extremely supported when her boyfriend was very accepting of the flaws in her body. This point shows that inter-individual support and acceptance cannot be ignored as a positive influence on body image. It also pushes the boundaries of gender and shows that men can also play a positive role in building women’s self-image.” The Box project allows for male perspectives and participation in order to create a more holistic and inclusive discussion environment.

• MBB’s comments on ‘The Box’ project

MBB said that after seeing my account, she felt that she had found a platform that matched her soul and received a lot of support. She hopes that there will be more accounts like this on the internet, spreading ideas in a more objective and positive way. If she could have seen this kind of content as a teenager, she would have been very happy and inspired. Feedback like this suggests that “The Box” project has been somewhat successful in reaching its target audience and creating a positive social impact. The feedback also reminds me that beyond online content, I need to consider how to make these messages more widely available to the youth population, as they are the most vulnerable to social and online environments.

Through dialogue with MBB and Jiachen, we were able to gain insight into body image issues from a gender-specific perspective. Their perspectives and experiences provided invaluable insight into my project, especially in terms of how to make a difference through social media and education.

In the quest to break through societal expectations and gender labelling, each individual faces their own unique challenges and choices. Through my project, I hope to provide more people with an open and diverse platform for discussion so that everyone can find their own voice and freedom.

When exploring the issue of female body image and social expectations, cultural factors play an important role. Through a dialogue with BeiBei, a Chinese woman working in New Zealand, we were able to gain a deeper understanding of this issue from a cross-cultural perspective. The paper will focus on the following themes: self-perception and social commentary, traditional culture and social expectations, individual choices and inner shackles.

The interviewee’s profile.

Name: BeiBei Job: Social Work, University of New Zealand

Age: 35 (born in 1988)

Nationality: Chinese

Professional background: Psychology

Reason for interview: She has been studying abroad since the age of 15, returned to China at the age of 28, and returned to New Zealand at the age of 34 to work. She herself has been influenced by multiple cultures and is in the process of healing herself while studying psychology.

• Self-awareness and Social Commentary

BeiBei emphasised the importance of inner strength. She believes that you must be strong enough inside to be yourself, and you must not be afraid of what others may say about you. This is because social comments and labels can create a great deal of psychological pressure on individuals, which can affect their self-perception and self-expression. For my project, this means that while pushing women to have a more positive view of body image, I also need to focus on the psychological aspect. Should I include a mental health component in my project to help women better cope with social pressure and self-perception?

• Traditional Culture and Social Expectations

BeiBei mentioned that in traditional Chinese thinking, women are given multiple roles such as mothers, daughters and wives, and often need to hide their true selves. However, in a matriarchal society like New Zealand, women have more voice and social status. This is a reminder that cultural background can greatly influence social expectations and female self-perception. In my project, is it possible to demonstrate the diversity of female body image in different cultures through cross-cultural examples?

• Individual Choice and Inner Shackles

BeiBei mentions that the shackles society puts on a person are far less important than the shackles they put on themselves. This means that even in a relatively tolerant and free social environment, an individual’s inner shackles may still be the biggest obstacle limiting his or her free expression. This finding suggests to me that while promoting social change, I need to focus on psychological change at the individual level as well. Should I include some psychological support or psycho-educational elements in my project to help individuals break free from their inner chains?

Through the dialogue with BeiBei, we were not only able to understand the issue of female body image and social expectations from a new, cross-cultural perspective, but also provided new thoughts and insights for my project. As an activist, I need to integrate multiple cultural, psychological and social dimensions in order to achieve a more comprehensive and in-depth social impact.

On the path of pursuing a more open and diversified concept of female body image, every exploration and reflection is valuable. I hope that through my project, I can sow the seeds of freedom and acceptance in more people’s hearts.

BeiBei’s comments and Inspiration on “The Box” project

Comment

According to BeiBei, “The Box” project touches on sensitive topics that are rarely discussed openly in Chinese society, especially those related to women’s bodies and physical nudity. She makes two important points: 1) In China’s social media environment, negative comments and social pressures often make people hesitant to express themselves. 2) Innovation and challenging traditions often require a lack of creativity. Secondly, innovation and challenging traditions often require a certain level of “sacrifice”, i.e. the courage to face possible social pressure and criticism.

BeiBei’s perspective provides a unique insight into how the Chinese cultural and social environment influences women’s body image and self-expression. Her perspective also reflects a complex but important fact: change is a slow and complex process that takes time and effort.

Inspiration

Social pressures and personal choices: It is important to consider social pressures and personal psychological factors when designing interventions or communication strategies. Not everyone is prepared to face negative evaluations or social pressures.

Diversity and inclusiveness: When promoting social change, there is a need to recognise that not everyone will or is willing to accept new ideas immediately. Therefore, extension activities and education should be as inclusive of diversity as possible, giving room for choice and autonomy.

Educate and inspire: We can’t “teach” people to accept or do something, but we can help them broaden their cognitive boundaries by providing them with different perspectives and information.

Through BeiBei’s comments, we learnt that “The Box” project is not only a platform for exploration and education, but also a platform to challenge and change existing social perceptions. At the same time, it reminds us that real change is complex and multi-faceted, and requires consideration of various cultural, social and personal factors.

Social media, gender and body image – a multi-dimensional battle

This Blog documents an in-depth discussion between myself and Yuyinxiang, a Chinese woman born in 1997. We focused on female body image, social media (especially The Red Book and Tik Tok) regulations in Chinese society, and how these factors affect women’s self-expression and social status.

The interviewee’s profile.

Name: Yuyinxiang Identity: Tik Tok with 100,000 followers

Age: 26 (born in 1997)

Nationality: Chinese

Professional background: Fashion design

Reason for interview: She often posts her photos in The Red Book and Tik Tok, but has been blocked three times in The Red Book and not in Shake.

This dialogue gave me a deeper understanding of how women’s body image is influenced and suppressed by multiple factors in the Chinese social and social media environment. It provided me with a wealth of real-life examples and people’s perspectives, and further corroborated the issues and challenges raised in my project. At the same time, this dialogue has provided valuable primary research and has made me as an activist more aware of the issues that need to be focused on and changed. Starting with these realities will be more helpful in implementing effective strategies and actions in my project.

The following is an in-depth analysis and reflection of this dialogue.

• Social media double standards: censorship and gender

On The Red Book, any image of a woman that is considered “sexy” can be labelled as “vulgar pornography”, whereas on Shakeology it is relatively lenient. This double standard reflects a deeper societal phenomenon: women’s bodies are often scrutinised more closely than men’s bodies. This point suggests to us that even on seemingly neutral social media platforms, gender inequality can exist in subtle or less obvious ways. As an activist, I need to reveal and challenge these hidden inequalities in my projects.

• The reality of sexism: algorithms and social perceptions

The fact that changing gender settings on social media can lead to different content censorship results directly exposes the inherent sexism of the platforms. This discrimination may be a reflection of the social media platform’s algorithms, as well as broader societal perceptions. This apparent sexism provides a starting point for my project: in the future, it may be possible to change existing social media algorithms or rules through design or educational interventions.

• Social Perceptions and Individual Freedom: Repression and Liberation

In Chinese culture, the female body is often seen as an object to be “controlled” and “censored”. This notion not only restricts women’s personal freedom, but also reinforces gender inequality. Understanding these deep-rooted societal perceptions helps me to design interventions more effectively. For example, I might consider launching a series of campaigns or continuing to post articles on social media about the body image, with the aim of changing traditional perceptions of women’s bodies.

• Self-expression and social response: the right and cost of expression

Even when women try to express themselves through social media, they are often met with negative societal reactions, including but not limited to malicious comments, sexual harassment, or physical harm. This phenomenon suggests that it is not enough to simply change the rules of social media platforms, but that a broader change in society’s acceptance of female self-expression is needed.

Through in-depth analysis and reflection on these four components, I have come to realise the complexity and multidimensionality of the problem. As an activist, I need to adopt strategies and actions from multiple perspectives and levels, including data-driven research, collaboration and influence, education and advocacy, and even legal advice and policy influence. All of these have deepened my understanding of the issues themselves. In this battlefield of challenges and possibilities, every small improvement gives me endless hope.

The issue of women’s body image in China has become increasingly complex under the multiple influences of Chinese culture and global social media. As someone who focuses on challenging and changing this issue, I recognise that research alone is not enough. To truly drive change, I need to be present as an activist and work from multiple angles. Below are strategies and future plans for how I should deepen my practice as an activist in the project “The box”.

Activist: not only a challenger of problems, but also a creator of solutions

The role of an activist is not just to stand against a problem and challenge it. More importantly, an activist should be a creator and practitioner of solutions. This requires me to not only understand the problem, but also to be able to come up with workable and impactful solutions and be brave enough to put them into practice. In the process, I have challenged myself by participating in WBNR to gain a deeper understanding of the changes that physical freedom and acceptance can bring. At the same time, I’ve worked hard to step out of my comfort zone and begin to focus on and use social media as one of my most powerful tools.

Deeper Understanding and Defining the Problem

My first step was to conduct research, which included not only literature review, but in-depth interviews. These methods allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of how women are affected by various aspects of society culture and social media. The in-depth interviews involved not only women in China’s Z Generation, but also men who have been joined by people who already have different identities.

Based on the research, I am continuously exploring and clarifying the core issues and specific objectives to be addressed. This will not only help me in my subsequent strategy planning, but also help me as an activist to define the “battlefield”.

Strategy Planning and Implementation

As an activist, I understand that it is often difficult to solve complex social problems with a single approach. Therefore, my strategies need to be multiple but precise. There may be more ways to use social media in the future. Currently, I have created a dedicated platform on TheRed Book and regularly post content about body positivity. Not only does social media allow me to interact directly with my target audience, but it also expands the reach of the project.

Expanding collaborative networks: a convergence of forces

Activists can’t do it alone. To drive real social change, I need to find partners and allies.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

I have initiated collaborations with psychologists, sociologists, and fashion designers. Their expertise and perspectives not only enriched my projects, but also enabled me to address issues more holistically.

Project Evaluation and Adjustment: Continuous Iteration

No change happens overnight. As an activist, I need to continuously evaluate and adjust my strategies.

Data Analysis

I utilise a variety of tools and methods for data analysis to ensure that every action is delivering the desired results.

Strategy Adjustment

Data and feedback are the basis for my strategy adjustments. With this information, I am able to flexibly adjust my programme to ensure that it continues to be effective in driving social change.

Ensuring the long-term impact of the programme

Integration with future brands

I plan to integrate the programme with my future lingerie brand to communicate a more positive body image through the product and brand.

Continuing to push

The project may be over, but there is no end to pushing the issues. I will continue to follow the issues and find new ways and platforms to promote them.

Constant Battle and Endless Hope

In this project, I played multiple roles as an activist: researcher, strategist, collaborator and implementer. Each of these roles has been undertaken with a common goal in mind – to promote a more positive and holistic understanding of women’s body image in society. It’s an ongoing battle, but each small improvement gives me endless hope.

Reflecting on what I’ve accomplished so far, at this stage I can’t become a true activist anytime soon, that’s where I’m aiming. But at this stage, I can deeply appreciate the change in myself, a change from a closed world to an infinite universe.

The 22nd of August is the 7th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar, which is also the Chinese Valentine’s Day. On this special day, I shared my thoughts and feelings with you in a different way than before. This note is not an article full of data and academic theories, but an essay from the heart, a love letter about body freedom and self-confidence. It is a true expression of the extreme pull between the rationality of my head and the romance of my heart.

The Universe and You – A Romance of Stardust

Lawrence M. Krauss, a famous physicist and cosmologist, once said, “Every atom in your body came from an exploded star, and the atoms in your left hand and the atoms in your right hand may have come from different stars. This is really the most poetic thing I know in physics: everything you are is stardust!” This statement was so romantic that it made me re-examine myself and my physical existence.

Our Encounter – Tiny Moments in the Universe

You and I, like two different stars, our atoms from different corners of the universe, met in an eternally fixed moment. We are like a tree, a drop of water, a grain of sand and a gust of wind in the universe, naturally existing, calm and without any emotion or meaning.

Freedom and Confidence – Become the Master of Your Own Galaxy

In this endlessly wide universe, from microscopic quarks to macroscopic galaxies, from the relativity of time to the curvature of space, we are together in pursuit of that ultimate freedom. Above all, at this moment, I want you most of all to be the master of your own galaxy. Please believe that you will always be a unique being, always shining brightly.

To sum up – you deserve all the goodness

You are a unique star in the universe! You deserve love and all the goodness that comes with it. On this special Valentine’s Day, I hope this accompanying love letter brings you some inspiration and strength to show up more confidently and live more freely.

REFLECTION: Which form of content is more popular?

On social media, there are many different forms of content: from data-driven research reports, to quick consumer articles on pop culture, to deeply felt personal essays. But each form has its attractions and limitations.

Academic content: authoritative but hard to digest

Academic content is often highly authoritative, based on rigorous research and data analysis. However, such content often requires readers to have a certain level of background knowledge and expertise in order to fully understand and appreciate it. For the average user, overly specialised and complex content may feel inaccessible.

Networked content: light-hearted but can be superficial

Web-enabled content, such as pop culture analyses and trend forecasts, is usually more light-hearted and easy to digest. This content can quickly grab users’ attention, but it is also easily consumed and forgotten quickly. And, because this type of content usually pursues hotspots and traffic, they may lack depth and lasting value.

Personal essays: sincere but risky

Personal essays or emotionally-expressive articles tend to touch the heart most directly. This form of content is usually more sincere and emotional, and can resonate with readers. However, overly personal content can also be unsuitable for everyone and can even be controversial or misunderstood.

In my experience, the love letter with the most “likes” may reveal an interesting phenomenon: in the fast-paced, diverse environment of social media, sincerity and self-expression often create an emotional connection with readers more quickly. However, this doesn’t mean we should abandon academic and professional content altogether. On the contrary, finding a balanced approach that combines sincerity and professionalism, emotion and rationality, may be the most lasting way to engage and influence readers. But for now, I remain determined to use a mixture of all three forms.

Because, in my project, I seem to be taking on the role of an activist, and that’s something I’ll be thinking about in depth next.

In the days ahead, may you all be brave enough to be yourself, the brightest star in your own galaxy.

Reference:

Lawrence M. Krauss, “A Universe from Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather than Nothing,” Free Press, 2012.

For this note, I purposely chose a topic that is very hot among Chinese women in Gen Z – K-POP – as my entry point for exploring body image. In particular, by analysing (G)I-dle’s song “Nxde”, I would like to understand with you its unique interpretation and influence on body image.

K-POP was chosen as the topic of this discussion because it is not only hugely influential globally, but is also particularly popular among China’s Generation Z female population. Through such a cultural phenomenon that is closely related to them, I hope to more effectively provoke new thinking about body image.

(G)I-dle’s ‘Nxde’: more than just music

After its release in October last year, (G)I-dle’s single ‘Nxde’ sparked a huge amount of attention and discussion on social media. More than just music, the song is a powerful challenge and deconstruction of feminism and body image.

Lyrics: Redefining “Nude”

In the lyrics, the lines “Now I draw a luxury nude/Why you think that about nude?/’Cause your view’s so rude/I’m born nude” directly question society’s perception of “nude”. These lines directly challenge the social stereotype of “nude”, which is often associated with “indecency” and “sluttiness”.

Here, the lyrics not only challenge this view, but also emphasise that everyone comes into the world in their purest and truest form, raising a very thought-provoking question: what do we need to hide?

Costume design: a new take on female power

In terms of styling, the members of (G)I-dle have reinterpreted and innovated the classic looks of female icons such as Marilyn Monroe and Madonna, showcasing the multiple identities and strengths of modern women.

Netflix effect: beyond Buzzword

The song’s impact on social media has also been extraordinary. Searching for “Nxde” not only led to positive messages about the song, but also led to a deeper social discussion that redefined the word “nude” and gave it more cultural and social connotations.

Summing up: new interpretations of body image

(G)I-dle’s “Nxde” is not just a song or a pop culture phenomenon, it is also a force that encourages women to re-examine and accept their own bodies. For young women in GEN Z, such a message is especially important and timely. I hope Chinese women of Generation Z will be inspired by it and be brave enough to show their truest and most beautiful sides.

After posting this note, I also got feedback from a girl born in 1999 who is working in Beijing. She felt very healed after reading this note, and this healing came from the fact that she found the same soul on the Internet. She said she loved the song and it was the first time she had seen someone on social media analyse it through the lens of body image and GIRL POWER. This allows her to be more convinced that there are people promoting this concept of positive and healthy body image in today’s society. She hopes that more articles like this one will appear on the internet to influence people.

For me, posting this note was an experiment. Because the content of the first four notes was relatively more academic in concept, I got some feedback that some of them couldn’t understand the content. So I just hoped that I could catch their attention by being more relevant to the topic of Generation Z. to go and influence them.

References:

• Marilyn Monroe: The Woman behind the Myth. Donald Spoto. HarperCollins, 1993.
• Madonna: An Intimate Biography of an Icon at Sixty. J. Randy Taraborrelli. Sidgwick & Jackson, 2018.

Currently, based on my ongoing research on women’s body image and social media influences, I have posted a series of notes on body image and public-private boundaries on The Red Book, a popular platform for young women, with the intention of challenging and changing some of the current stereotypes of women’s bodies in Chinese culture. Below is a summary of the four notes I posted, which consist of two parts: 1) introducing and popularising body image; 2) exploring the boundaries of the body in public and private space

Demystifying body image: from superficiality to depth

Body image is more than just how we perceive our appearance. It is a multi-dimensional concept that encompasses our perceptions, emotions, behaviours and perceptions of our bodies. In my notes “Demystifying ‘Body Image’ | Know Your True Self, Cherish Your True Self” and “Depth Interpretation of Body Image,” I attempted to provide an in-depth analysis of body image in terms of four dimensions (cognitive, affective, behavioural, and perceptual) and highlighted its importance in terms of an individual’s self-esteem, mental health, social and professional life.

Academic support

This perspective is supported by several studies, such as Cash & Smolak (2011) in Body Image: A Handbook of Science, Practice, and Prevention, where it is explored in depth.

Public-private boundaries of the body: blurring and clarification

On the other hand, I have also posted notes on The Red Book about the boundaries of the body in public and private spaces. It is about how we present our bodies in different social and cultural contexts.

In “Dual Boundaries of the Body – Public and Private” and “The Body – Public Territory or Private Haven? ” In these two notes, I try to answer this complex but highly relevant question through experimentation and research. I designed a conceptual model and conducted random interviews to understand the parts of the body that people are willing to display in public and the social and psychological factors behind this.

This note’s was also commented on by thought psychologists and reads: the skin of the body is the border between private and public. Part of the healthy state of the skin is the subconscious externalisation of this boundary. Experiencing the subconscious language of the skin may be an important way of becoming aware of the self in relation to the other, but this is difficult to do. Analysing his comments, from a psychological point of view, the condition of the skin may reflect a person’s psychological state, such as anxiety or self-esteem. This is in line with the concept of my project – boosting self-confidence through awareness and respect for one’s body. Considering that the skin may be a “communication tool” in the relationship between the self and the other, this perspective may help me to more fully understand the connection between body image and self-confidence. Whilst there is value in recognising the ‘subconscious language’ of the skin, this is very difficult to achieve. Possible reasons for this include cultural stereotypes, individual experiences and social expectations. This may provide a specific practical challenge for my project: how to design iterative interventions to help target populations better interpret and accept the ‘language’ of their bodies?

Academic Background

This topic has also been widely explored in sociology and cultural studies, for example in relation to the definition of ‘public and private’ and its impact on individual behaviour.

Body image and public-private boundaries are issues that everyone needs to face, but in a society like China, where tradition and modernity are intertwined, they take on more complex and diverse characteristics. Through this series of interventions on The Red Book, I not only hope to help more women to recognise and accept themselves, but also look forward to triggering more in-depth social discussion and change.

Reference:

• Cash, T. F., & Smolak, L. (Eds.). (2011). Body Image: A Handbook of Science, Practice, and Prevention. Guilford Press.
• Grogan, S. (2016). Body image: Understanding body dissatisfaction in men, women, and children. Routledge.
• Tiggemann, M. (2004). Body image across the adult life span: Stability and change. Body image, 1(1), 29-41.
• Thompson, J. K. (Ed.). (1996). Body image, eating disorders, and obesity. American Psychological Association.

The role of social media cannot be ignored in challenging and redefining the perception of the female body in Chinese culture. Inspired by the article “Body Image Disturbance among Females: the Influence Mechanism of Social Network Sites”, this blog aims to delve into two key dimensions of social media’s influence on women’s body image. -“appearance comparison” and “internalisation of thinness ideals”.

Inspired by the article “Body Image Disturbance among Females: the Influence Mechanism of Social Network Sites”, we need to conceptualise this issue through the following three main dimensions: 1) Cognitive Dimension: how social media shapes women’s perceptions of their bodies. 2) Affective Dimension: how social media shapes women’s perceptions of their bodies. Affective dimension: the emotional states triggered by social media. 3. Behavioural dimension: the actions women take as a result of the influence of social media.

Appearance Comparison: More Than Just Surface

The issue of appearance comparisons exacerbated by social media has its roots in social psychological theories, such as social comparison theory. This is often expressed as ‘upward comparison’ and can lead to significant cognitive dissonance in women’s perceptions of themselves.

Impact:

Cognitive: Women’s self-perceptions begin to correspond more to external ideals than to 

individual realities.

Emotional: This leads to decreased self-esteem and increased anxiety, especially among Gen Z women.

Behavioural: This comparison can lead to compulsive behaviours such as overdressing or even undergoing plastic surgery.

Internalisation of the thin ideal: a cultural paradox

The internalisation of the thinness ideal is not just a personal choice, but a cultural construct. Traditional Chinese values often reinforce this, which is further amplified by social media algorithms that have a preference for that ideal.

Impact:

Cognitive: Women begin to use these thinness ideals as a benchmark for themselves.

Emotional: This leads to dissatisfaction and possible mental health issues such as body image disorders.

Behavioural: unhealthy coping mechanisms may occur, such as extreme dieting.

Based on my research findings, creating a community that promotes diverse body types using a platform such as Little Red Book could be a step towards change. This is part of my ongoing actions and interventions, and in the next blog I will explain what I post in Little Red Book.

Understanding the impact of social media through the lenses of ‘appearance comparison’ and ‘internalisation of thinness ideals’ provides a holistic view and reinforces my hope that by positively influencing body image amongst women in Generation Z, they will be able to better accept themselves and thus increase their self-confidence. thereby boosting self-confidence. This not only contributes to my research project The box, but also provides a deeper understanding of the topic as a whole.

The ideas and analyses in this blog are based on proven academic theories and real-life case data, including the illuminating article Body Image Disturbance among Females: the Influence Mechanism of Social Network Sites.

In today’s society, social media and short-video platforms are in full swing, especially among the younger generation, which is my research population, Chinese women in Generation Z. I recently read an academic article about the effects of short-video use on depression among Chinese female university students. I recently read an academic article about the impact of short video use on depression among female college students. The article explores the association between video use, female self-objectification and body satisfaction, and depression. This blog post aims to provide an in-depth analysis of these findings, as well as critical thinking and reflection.

Firstly, there is the content of the article and the mechanisms of influence. The main finding of this study is that short video use is positively correlated with depressive symptoms and self-objectification and negatively correlated with body satisfaction among female college students. These findings raise an important but complex question: why do short videos affect depression in female college students?

1, Self-objectification: Short video platforms often have a heightened focus on women’s bodies and appearance, which may lead women to see themselves more from others’ perspectives and thus fall into a state of self-objectification.

2, Social Comparison: Short video platforms are full of carefully curated and retouched content, which can easily trigger users to make unhealthy social comparisons, thus affecting body satisfaction and mental health.

3, Information overload and anxiety: the fast pace and large amount of information in short videos may lead to increased psychological stress, further affecting mental health.

However, I have also critically thought and reflected on this article. Firstly, the lack of cultural context: although the article targets female college students, it does not delve into China’s unique cultural and social environments, which may further influence the impact of short videos on women’s depression. Second, the limitation of a single platform: the study mainly focused on short video platforms, but the social media ecosystem is much more than that. This limits our understanding of how social media affects female body image and depression across the board. Therefore, given the shortcomings in this article, I plan to conduct further research. This will include conducting in-depth interviews with others to obtain more comprehensive and accurate information. contributing to our fuller understanding of the impact of social media on women’s body image and mental health.

Whilst this article provides useful preliminary data, it also exposes a number of issues that need to be explored further. The impact of social media on women’s body image and mental health is a complex topic that requires multiple perspectives and levels of research to fully parse. This blog aims to provide a critical and reflective analysis to facilitate further discussion.

Reference：The Impact of Short-Video Use on Depression of Female Undergraduate: A Chain Mediating Model of Self- Objectification and Body Satisfaction
Liang Xiaoyan, Guo Xiaorong , Zhao Tong (School of Educational Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, 030006)