Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

Concept of Beauty in the Age of the Internet: Impact of Social Media on Appearance Anxiety and Body Shame

Ziyan GongDulwich International High School Suzhou*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

With the widespread use of social media platforms, the singular aesthetic orientation of society has had varying degrees of impact on women at both the physical and psychological levels. An increasing number of women are exposed to over-idealized images thus triggering a series of problems. The purpose of this study is to investigate how social media affects women’s mental health and, in turn, how it affects their eating behaviors. By compiling previous research studies and evaluating information gathered from surveys and interviews with women in various age groups, this study carried out a thorough evaluation of the literature. The results of the study show that a relatively homogenous aesthetic orientation has led a growing number of women to develop negative experiences of their own bodies, which leads to varying degrees of anxiety, and dissatisfaction with their appearance. The proliferation of media big data has resulted in women being exposed to a high frequency of information that generates messages inducing anxiety and gradually internalizing the notion of an ideal figure, thereby promoting abnormal weight reduction practices. The research concludes with suggestions for the female group that self-awareness awakening and conscious resistance to narrow aesthetic standards in society are effective ways to solve their psychological problems.

Keywords: social media; women; appearance anxiety; beauty standards; eating disorders
Published: December 7, 2023
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/21/20231522
Volume: CHR Vol.21
pp. 286-290
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