{"id":21767,"date":"2025-04-03T14:40:51","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T14:40:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=21767"},"modified":"2025-04-03T14:40:52","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T14:40:52","slug":"how-to-curb-social-medias-body-image-toll-in-young-women","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/how-to-curb-social-medias-body-image-toll-in-young-women\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Curb Social Media&#8217;s Body Image Toll in Young Women"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">A new study from Washington State University reveals that young women can mitigate the negative impacts of social media on body image through simple, daily reflections on fitness content. <\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0dfbf163 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px;\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Reflecting on how fitness posts on social media make them feel might help young women counteract the harmful tendency to compare themselves to idealized influencers and content online. A new study <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/10410236.2025.2480685?src=exp-la\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in Health Communication sheds light on how simple actions, like daily reflections, can lead to meaningful changes in self-perception and emotional well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Led by Jessica Willoughby, an associate professor of communication at Washington State University, the research found that prompting young women to reflect twice daily on the fitness content they encounter on social media significantly reduces social comparison \u2014 a major factor contributing to poor body image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe wanted to see whether calling attention to the content people are viewing impacts how they perceive it and, in turn, how they feel about themselves,\u201d Willoughby said in a news release. \u201cEven content meant to be motivational can include unrealistic ideals or objectifying imagery that affect how young women feel about their own bodies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The study included 40 women aged 18 to 24 who occasionally viewed fitness content online. The participants completed a pretest survey and then received two daily surveys over four days. These surveys asked about the content they saw, their emotional responses and their levels of body appreciation. A follow-up posttest and in-depth interviews with seven participants provided additional insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The results showed a notable decline in social comparison after the reflection period. However, increases in body appreciation were modest and not statistically significant, and there was no measurable change in traditional media literacy, which involves critically analyzing media messages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nevertheless, the interviews revealed deeper impacts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur interview participants said the daily surveys made them more aware of how specific types of content \u2014 whether body positive, objectifying, or focused on health \u2014 made them feel,\u201d Willoughby added. \u201cThat awareness led some to take action, like curating their feeds or unfollowing accounts that made them feel worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This approach could offer a low-cost method to help young women combat the negative impacts of social comparison when engaging with online content. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s really easy to get stuck in passive scrolling,\u201d added Willoughby. \u201cBut just calling attention to what you\u2019re seeing and how it makes you feel can shift how you engage with content \u2014 and that can have lasting effects.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although the study&#8217;s small sample size limits its broader applicability, it sets the stage for future interventions. Willoughby aims to develop a more comprehensive version of this reflective approach, incorporating additional prompts based on health communication theory. She also seeks to better understand how perceptions of sexually objectifying content, particularly in fitness media, vary among individuals and how these perceptions influence emotional and behavioral responses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhether someone views a social post as sexually objectifying or not will vary a lot between a researcher and an 18\u201324-year-old student,\u201d Willoughby added. \u201cThat\u2019s especially true with fitness content, where showing certain body parts can be part of the context. I think it\u2019s important that we better understand how people perceive this kind of content differently and how those perceptions map onto actual effects. And from there, I\u2019d love to develop this into a more fully realized intervention.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leticia Couto, an assistant professor at DePaul University and WSU Murrow College of Communication alum, co-authored the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:13px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/news.wsu.edu\/press-release\/2025\/04\/02\/study-suggests-a-new-way-to-curb-social-medias-body-image-toll\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Washington State University<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reflecting on how fitness posts on social media make them feel might help young women counteract the harmful tendency to compare themselves to idealized influencers and content online. A new study published in Health Communication sheds light on how simple actions, like daily reflections, can lead to meaningful changes in self-perception and emotional well-being. Led [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[132],"class_list":["post-21767","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mental-health","tag-washington-state-university"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Reflecting on how fitness posts on social media make them feel might help young women counteract the harmful tendency to compare themselves to idealized influencers and content online. A new study published in Health Communication sheds light on how simple actions, like daily reflections, can lead to meaningful changes in self-perception and emotional well-being. Led&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21767","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21767"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21767\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21792,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21767\/revisions\/21792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}