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.