The Mediating Effect of Social Anxiety on the Relationship Between Social Media Use and Body Dissatisfaction Among University Students

Abstract

Body dissatisfaction has become increasingly common among women and young adults and has only become worse in the digital age, where people have increased access to social media and are in constant competition and comparisons with their “friends” on their different social media platforms. While several studies have looked at the relationship between social media and body dissatisfaction, there is an obvious dearth of empirical studies on the mediating role of social anxiety- a gap this study hoped to address. Using a cross-sectional research design, this study examined the mediating role of social anxiety on the relationship between social media usage and body dissatisfaction. The sample consisted of 432 students from Kampala International University and Victoria University in Uganda. The findings show a significant positive relationship between social media usage and body dissatisfaction. The findings prove that heavy users of social media are significantly more likely to suffer from body dissatisfaction. In a similar vein, the findings show that there is a significant positive relationship between social media usage and social anxiety. This suggests that people that frequently make use of social media have a much higher chance of suffering from social anxiety, that is the inability or difficulty to engage in social interactions, than people that rarely or moderately make use of social media. Finally, findings show that social anxiety mediates the relationship between social media usage and body dissatisfaction. It indicates that people with high levels of social anxiety are more likely to suffer from body dissatisfaction as a direct result of heavy social media usage. These findings imply that although heavy users of social media tend to have a more negative perception of their body, if these same users can properly engage in social interactions, then this might mitigate the negative effects of social media usage (in terms of body dissatisfaction).

Does the Internet Bring People Closer Together or Further Apart? The Impact of Internet Usage on Interpersonal Communications

“…Nowadays, people tend to share their daily lives via online platforms, inadvertently causing them to make comparisons with the lives of others. This makes people more pessimistic about their body image and standard of living, resulting in increased anxiety [ 86 ]. The nervousness caused by peer pressure on the Internet leads users to be more reluctant to communicate with others in the real world.…”

“…Moreover, compared with traditional communication methods, such as phone calls and text messages, the Internet helps people to establish a much wider social network and achieve effective remote communication at a lower cost, as well as with greater efficiency [ 69 , 70 , 90 , 101 ]. Nevertheless, other studies reveal that Internet usage may distract people’s attention [ 10 , 11 , 65 , 66 , 83 ], reduce their social skills [ 47 , 67 , 68 , 84 , 85 ], and may even increase negative emotions [ 10 , 11 , 53 , 73 , 86 ]. The impact of Internet usage in this aspect would hinder interpersonal communications.…”

Body Image and Other Mood Vulnerabilities in Adolescents with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Metabolic Alterations

“…This has worsened in the digital age, where adolescents have greater access to social media and are constantly comparing themselves to others and to unrealistic role models on various social media platforms [29]. Social expectations, promoted by social media, have been related to the onset of risk factors for eating disorders, especially during adolescence [30]. Menstrual irregularities due to different mechanisms are strongly associated with the presence of eating disorders [31].…”

The Effect of Appearance Anxiety on Social Anxiety among College Students: Sequential Mediating Effects of Self-Efficacy and Self-Esteem

“…Different scholars have offered different perspectives on the explanation of the correlation between appearance anxiety and social anxiety. Some scholars have suggested that appearance anxiety may also be triggered by social anxiety [ 70 ], while others have argued that fear of negative evaluations mediates the link between appearance anxiety and social anxiety [ 71 ]. Additionally, previous studies have found that self-compassion [ 72 ], perfectionism [ 73 ], and social rejection sensitivity [ 21 ] are also present and work to produce a relationship between the two.…”