Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
Home> Volumes> Volume CHR Vol.89> Article
Research Article

A Study on the Negative Effects and Improvement Suggestions of Female Body Anxiety on Social Media Platforms

Songen ShenShanghai PengPu High School*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

This article aims to explore in depth how social media platforms such as Instagram, Red note, and TikTok exacerbate women's body anxiety and its widespread negative impacts. By analyzing typical challenges, popular trends, and algorithm mechanisms on the platform, this study reveals that the "information cocoon" formed by algorithmic push on social media, highly visual content presentation, and digital and quantitative aesthetic standards collectively constitute the core mechanism that exacerbates women's body anxiety. Research has found that this reinforced anxiety not only leads to serious psychological and behavioral problems such as eating disorders, depression, and low self-esteem at the individual level, but also promotes the global convergence of single and narrow aesthetic standards at the social level, posing a significant threat to the well-being of women. Based on this, this article proposes a systematic and multi-level improvement proposal from three dimensions: platform governance responsibility, user media literacy education, and public policy supervision, aiming to provide a theoretical reference and a practical path for building a more inclusive and healthy network environment.

Keywords: Social media; Female body anxiety; Platform governance.
Published: October 23, 2025
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2025.KM28105
Volume: CHR Vol.89
pp. 117-123
Download PDF

References

  1. Chen, L. Discipline and struggle: The discourse shift of female body anxiety in the context of social media. PhD thesis, Lanzhou University of Finance and Economics.
  2. Wang, S. Y. Research on the phenomenon of "body anxiety" spread on social platforms from the perspective of media availability. PhD thesis, Zhejiang University of Media and Communications.
  3. Liu, Y. Discipline and struggle: Female body anxiety and self management in the context of social media. Audiovisual, (11), 153-154
  4. Cheng, S. F. On the construction of body anxiety in post-90s women. PhD thesis, Wuhan University.
  5. Gao, L. Analysis of the phenomenon of "body anxiety" among young women from the perspective of body communication. News Frontier, (24), 73-75.
  6. Yin, Y. T. A study on the phenomenon of body anxiety in young women under the mode of knowledge, belief and action: Taking Red Note as an example. New Media Research, 8(05), 78-80+84.
  7. Zhang, Y. B. Analysis of body anxiety in social short video media environment. Science Review, B02, 12 March 2024.
  8. Chen, L. Research on the presentation and behavior of female anti-body anxiety discourse: Taking Weibo platform as an example. New Media Research, 8(14), 61-63+104.
  9. Chen, Q. Diet, overeating, and self determination: Body anxiety and female awakening in Food and Caution. English Square, (33), 56-59.
  10. Fan, M. Y. Body anxiety in young women: An analysis of the BM style epidemic phenomenon. Journal of Shanxi Youth Vocational College, 34(03), 23-27.