Abstract
This paper presents and discusses research on the process of adolescent females interacting with and posting idealised images of fit and healthy bodies on the social networking site Instagram, and the adverse effects this has on their self-identity and body image. This research finds that Instagram provides adolescent females with continuous access to peer culture and an influx of media representing idealised images of fit and healthy bodies. The adverse effects resulting from the viewing and sharing of these images include body image concerns, unauthentic displays of identity, self-dissatisfaction, conforming to gendered and sexualised stereotypes, objectification, poor self and social comparison and disordered eating. Issues around the need for peer validation and constant impression management practises are significant throughout the research.
Social networking sites such as Instagram are found to be an important part of adolescent social life and a representation of primary public spaces (Hodkinson, 2017). Instagram is a mobile app which was originally released on October 6th, 2010 for iPhones, before progressing to also include the Android system. In 2015, the app recorded more than 300 million active users and 70 million photographs uploaded every day, “allowing users to share life moments through pictures as they happen in real time” (Ridgway, 2016: p. 2). Instagram allows users to post photographs directly through the app or use photographs they’ve taken with their phone or camera beforehand, such as idealised images of fit and healthy bodies. When posting a photograph to Instagram, users can add a description, a filter or other edits, and metadata, including hashtags and geotags. These forms of metadata can assist in grouping photographs together into categories, such as that of fitspiration or #fitspiration (fitness and inspiration). Users can search or follow specific hashtags, tailoring what they want to view and engage with on the platform. Posts can be commented on and liked by other Instagram users, and users can follow each other, allowing the other user’s content to appear in their feed (Ridgway, 2016). Since 2016, user’s feeds on Instagram are ordered using an algorithm (Cotter, 2018). This means that images in their feed are ordered depending on posts the user has interacted with, profiles they have searched for and their relationship with other users. Algorithms have an effect on social realities in ways that cannot be clearly seen (Cotter, 2018). This relates to the fact that Instagram has not given specific details around the workings of its algorithm – just that it is showing users what they most want to see. This could be influencing users to view and interact with specific categories of images, including #fitspiration. This act of liking, commenting and following of users can represent popularity and be a rewarding experience for users. Studies have shown that using Instagram regularly, as female adolescents commonly do, can have a negative effect on body image and body satisfaction (Ahazadeh, 2017). This can also relate to an increase in self objectification in adolescent females, which relates to comparisons between the self and models and celebrities (Fardouly, 2017). This act of self-comparison to models and celebrities relates to female adolescents experiencing adverse effects from using and viewing fitspiration images on Instagram. Algorithms can influence the particular images viewed and ultimately the act self-comparison. The negative effects of self-comparison experienced by adolescent females include negative body image and body satisfaction.
A common type of photograph which appears on Instagram is the ‘selfie’. This was the word of the year by Oxford Dictionary in 2013, “a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media web site” (Oxford Dictionaries, 2014). These images can involve the idealised images of a fit and healthy body, either posted by or viewed by female adolescents. The self-representation offered by posting selfies, has been found to be related to concepts of narcissism and even psychopathy (Ridgway, 2016). Selfies can also represent a user’s body satisfaction and “help to empower users by serving as a platform for self-representation” (Ridgway, 2016: p. 3), but still promotes negative body comparison and low internalised body satisfaction (Ridgway, 2016; Ahadzadeh, 2017). These types of photographs posted on Instagram are commonly representations of idealised fit and healthy bodies, also known as ‘fitspiration’ images (Fardouly, 2017). As mentioned previously, when uploading photos onto Instagram, filters and edits can be applied. This can be done directly through the app or from external editing platforms. The altering of selfies can be used to change one’s appearance – including skin smoothing and body contorting to fit into societal gendered stereotypes of beauty. This can relate to presenting an unauthentic self, relate to impression management and have adverse effects on one’s self-identity (Ridgway, 2016; Hodkinson, 2015).
Female adolescents can experience “the presence of sexual double standards in peer normative discourses” (Mascheroni et al., 2015: p. 1). Historically, mainstream media has been found to shape contemporary concepts and constructs of femininity through representations of women (Lupinetti, 2015) and “notions of the ideal female body” (Reade, 2016: p. 1). Social networking sites such as Instagram are found to represent significantly gendered identity spaces which can position adolescent females to be more subjected to sexualised stereotypes (Ringrose and Barajas, 2011; Mascheroni et al., 2015). These representations and stereotypes even involve “gender-typical poses and clothing” (Reade, 2016: p. 1) which are presented in images on Instagram, being strongly feminine or masculine and resembling “the visual codes of advertising” (Mascheroni et al., 2015: p. 11). This advertising style adapted through users’ photographs can represent the sexualisation and objectification present on the platform. These stereotypes, double standards and sexualised feminine models of beauty presented to adolescent females on social networking sites have been found to be commonly conformed to. This is reportedly done in the hopes of peer validation and acceptance (Mascheroni et al., 2015; Lupinetti, 2015), which relates to impression management, and consistently trying to construct a desired identity to achieve this peer validation and acceptance. Conforming in social publics can result in validation in the form of likes, comments and followers – Instagram’s currency of popularity (Tiggemann et al., 2018). This process of conforming can have adverse effects on the process of an adolescent’s construction of identity (Ringrose and Barajas, 2011). The process of constructing an identity has changed significantly throughout time, with people presenting themselves in predominantly physical public spaces, to online spaces (Boyd, 2007). This allows for more time to practise impression management, by contemplating, editing, constructing and formulating an identity, which may result in it being less authentic and stable (Hodkinson, 2017). Female adolescents conforming to these gendered and sexualised online representations, presents a more binary view of gender in the online public space. This may pose issues for those who may not feel they fit into binary gender roles, causing internalisation, self-objectification and appearance comparisons (Fardouly, 2017). These repercussions are an example of adverse effects experienced by adolescent females for viewing and posting idealised images of fit and healthy bodies on Instagram. In this instance – these idealised images representing binary gendered and highly sexualised representations of idealised bodies.
As discussed, Instagram is a social networking site which promotes popularity through likes, comments and follows. The platform hosts photographs posted by users, including selfies and fitspiration images, and represents a highly gendered space with female sexualisation and gendered stereotypes (Mascheroni et al., 2015; Lupinetti, 2015). These selfies and fitspiration images represent the idealised images of a fit and healthy body, which have adverse effects on female adolescent’s self-identity and body image. Fitspiration is generally promoted as a positive term – promoting physical exercise and healthy eating. However, the viewing of fitspiration images is reported to have a direct cause of increased body images concerns in adolescent women (Fardouly, 2017), as well as reported poorer self-compassion (Slater, 2017). These adverse effects on adolescent women caused by idealised images of fit and healthy bodies have darker and more negative connotations than that of healthy food choices and exercise. Holland and Tiggemann (2017) found that women who post images of idealised fit and healthy bodies actually have a higher drive for thinness, bulimia and compulsive exercise compared to those who do not. It is found that these idealised images posted on Instagram can actually induce messages of guilt and promote stronger motivations toward appearance rather than health (Holland and Tiggemann, 2017). Even though these images promote messages and captions such as, ‘Strong beats skinny every time’, it is reported that thin-ideal internalisation is common with those who post and interact with this type of content (Slater, 2017; Holland and Tiggemann, 2017). So much so, that some adolescent females involved with posting and interacting with fitspiration content on Instagram, are reported to be at risk for clinical eating disorders (Holland and Tiggemann, 2017). A specific eating disorder found directly linked to Instagram use is that of Orthorexia Nervosa, or obsessively pursuing a healthy diet (Turner and Lefevre, 2017). A study was done directly correlating the two using the ORTO-15 inventory, a questionnaire used to diagnose Orthorexia Nervosa. The study found that this link did not occur with any other social networking site (Turner and Lefevre, 2017).
This paper will discuss the process of adolescent females interacting with and posting idealised images of fit and healthy bodies on the social networking site Instagram, and the adverse effects this has on their self-identity and body image. Body image is found to be a socially and culturally formulated mental image of one’s physical self (Fisher, 1986), which may be different to what someone represents and promotes on social networking sites. This can be closely related to the construction and upkeep of one’s identity, which “is an ambiguous and slippery term … [it] implies a relationship with a broader collective or social group of some kind” (Buckingham, 2007: p. 5). This construction and upkeep of identity relates to Goffman’s (1959) concept of ‘impression management’, involving the control and regulation of information for the purpose of influencing perceptions. Female adolescents have more barriers in place than ever before when it comes to developing and maintaining a positive self-identity and body image, with the use of social networking sites such as Instagram and having full time access to peer culture (Mascherone et al., 2015), presented to them in forms and orders specially formulated by social algorithms (Cotter, 2018). Public spaces have evolved from mainly physical spaces to online spaces (Boyd, 2007; Hodkinson, 2017), which serve as “primary public spaces of interaction” (Hodkinson, 2015; p. 9). These primary public spaces of interaction include social media platforms such as Instagram. This platform allows female adolescents to interact with and post idealised images of a fit and healthy body, this can have adverse effects on their self-identity and body image (Buckingham, 2007; Ridgway, 2016). This will be discussed further throughout this paper, explaining how and why adolescents posting and viewing idealised images of fit and healthy bodies on Instagram has negative effects on their self-identity and body image.
This is a representation of internalisation experienced by adolescent females who use Instagram (Ahadzadeh, 2017). They promote one thing – healthy eating, being strong, loving yourself, and they feel another – negative body image, self-objectification and comparison to others (Fardouly, 2017). This relates to the popular use of social networking sites in a late capitalist society, which promotes immediate forms of interaction. This presents a lessened importance for authentic, stable displays of identity, through “cultures of ‘always on’ access via mobile technologies” (Hodkinson, 2017: p. 8). Adolescent females are using impression management by being able to carefully choose the images and content they put forward to others (Boyd, 2007). By doing this, they are commonly conforming to societal standards of appearance, gender and sexualisation which has adverse effects on their self-identity and body image (Mascheroni et al., 2015; Lupinetti, 2015). As discussed, Instagram promotes popularity through the use of likes, comments and follows. This culture of popularity and continuous access to peers through Instagram can involve an investment in likes and a feeling of need for popularity. This can not only lead to conformity, but also appearance comparison and self-dissatisfaction (Tiggemann et al., 2018). These consequences have been directly linked with viewing images on Instagram with a large number of likes, and reportedly being invested in the amount of likes the user or other users are receiving (Lupinetti, 2015; Tiggemann et al., 2018). As well as the number of likes received, users have also found to be adversely affected by viewing celebrity and peer images which are conventionally deemed as being attractive (Brown and Tiggemann, 2018). These findings show no difference between viewing of attractive celebrity or attractive peer images, representing the high importance and power of peer culture and the importance of social media in adolescents’ lives (Boyd, 2007).
Instagram
provides adolescent females with continuous access to peer culture and an
influx of media representing idealised images of a fit and healthy body. As
discussed from the research cited in this paper, increased use of Instagram,
including posting and viewing of these images has been directly connected with
adverse effects related to body image and self-identity. These have shown to include
body image concerns, unauthentic displays of identity, self-dissatisfaction,
conforming to gendered and sexualised stereotypes, objectification, poor self
and social comparison and disordered eating. Self-identity has been found
difficult to authentically explore and construct when there is pressure to
consistently appear ‘perfect’, which is controlled by impression management and
rewarded with validation from peers in the form of likes, comments and follows.
Since its inception in 2010, Instagram has continued to gain popularity with
the assistance of technological advances. Due to current trends, Instagram use,
and the viewing and posting of idealised images of fit and healthy bodies is
likely to be sticking around for the time being. The adverse effects relating
to body image and self-identity are likely to continue to effect female
adolescents who use Instagram to interact with and post idealised images of fit
and healthy bodies.
References
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Hi KAtkinson,
I read your paper and found it very interesting. I myself I have explored in one part of my paper the effects of exposure to these pictures (for example: to celebrities/influencers) and how that can lead to body dissatisfaction and other mental issues.
I have raised a question when writing my paper and reading yours, teenagers were already exposed to these content through advertisement and billboards but how now that has changed to that level?
You can take a look at my paper: https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2019Curtin/2019/05/06/social-networking-sites-are-causing-the-downfall-of-adolescents-and-children/
Hi MThomas,
That’s a really interesting point. I do believe that young people were already exposed to similar content in advertising and billboards. In my paper I referred to the images as resembling “the visual codes of advertising” (Mascheroni et al., 2015: p. 11).
However, I do believe that there is a significant difference between what advertising used to be and what it is now. And especially what advertising used to be and what social media is now. The people selling things, usually a way of life, a look, a body, are seen to be more real, more relatable. I feel like this is where the danger lies, and what can amplify many of the adverse effects. Advertising is no long run by high end models or actors. It’s peers who are promoting what you should have and achieve. The advertising isn’t as obvious, as is the promotion of poor body image and self identity.
Thanks for the comment, I look forward to reading your paper as well.
Yes, for example, social media Instagram has a large number of Influencers who are very close to their audience and can easily influence them. The Kardashians selling fitness tea or meal replacement that according to doctors can act as laxatives for some people and be detrimental for their health but their audience fantasizing about having a body similar to them may fall into the trap.
Hello,
Yes, for example, social media Instagram has a large number of Influencers who are very close to their audience and can easily influence them. The Kardashians selling fitness tea or meal replacement that according to doctors can act as laxatives for some people and be detrimental for their health but their audience fantasizing about having a body similar to them may fall into the trap.
Thanks for the comment MThomas. Yes, it is scary how much power and influence celebrities or even ‘micro-celebrities’ can have online. Especially for products that have no proven positive effects.
Thank you for replying, do you think that sometimes ‘body positive’ influencers how share semi-naked pictures online can have a good impact on their followers? Or do you think they only have bad effects?
Looking forward to your comment.
Hey KAtkinson
This was a really in-depth paper that covered a lot of specific details regarding certain elements of identity on Instagram.
I really liked the way you discussed Instagrams features such as likes, follows and filters in your first paragraph, as my paper strongly agrees that these are a significant part of the issue that Instagram causes with its users identity. Another part of your paper I found interesting was when you were able to directly link an eating disorder to Instagram, the fact you could find evidence for this was impressive and shows you must of done a lot of research.
The only question I had for you, is why do you think Instagram stands out amongst other social networking sites as one of worst for impacting the body image and self-identity of adolescent females? A useful quote I had in my paper pointed out that the functioning of Instagram as an ‘image-based platform’ was a significant reason for this. “Increased use of the image-based platform Instagram, in which users post idealized images, is likely putting users at higher risk of negative outcomes than the users of other forms of social media,” (Sherlock & Wagstaff, 2018). Do you agree with this, and from your research, do you have any other reasons as to why Instagram is significantly worse than other social networking sites?
A link to the quote I used can be found below.
Sherlock, M., & Wagstaff, D.L. (2018). http://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000182
Thanks for providing such an interesting read, this was definitely one of the best papers I have read so far. My paper also covers Instagram and its impact on identity, the link can be found below if you are interested.
https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2019Curtin/2019/05/04/the-functions-of-instagram-and-the-pressure-placed-on-users-to-produce-unrealistically-favourable-identities/
Hi KAtkinson,
I really like the idea of how you pose, likes or comments as a ‘currency’ for popularity on Instagram. Overall I found your paper to be a very interesting read and can definitely relate to some of the issues you have raised being a female adolescent constantly exposed to these ‘fit and perfect’ Instagram images and users.
I find that recently a lot of these users have started posting about this issue and really try to make an effort to show their audience they’re not perfect at all times and that what they show on their Instagram page is not how they appear all the time. Do you think that this has any affect on the idealised perception that young women has? Is it enough to convince them that they are fine the way they are?
Thanks for reading my paper.
Hi Patricia,
Thanks for the comment. I have noticed this trend as well and do believe it is much more positive than the usual idealised images posted on the platform.
However, I do believe that even these types of posts are emphasising a high importance and value of the appearance of a female’s physical body. And perhaps still having an influence on self identity.
Perhaps they are needed to balance out the idealised images, however it may not be the answer to completely positively influence peoples body image perceptions.
Hello KAtkinson,
Your paper is very interesting and engaging to read, we live in a world where the online overlap the non-virtual one. Body ideals is a trend thus it is very ‘shapeable’. One ideal in one society may differ to another one however with the internet ‘body ideals’ are more universal, and it is impossible to have a body type representing every type. Your paper highlight how teenagers are influenced to match an ideal to look like celebrities or influencers. Do you think that influencers should put a disclaimer anytime their pictures are retouched to say that it is not a representation of reality?
I will be looking for your response! And thank you for this paper as I was a teenager with social media access I can relate to some points.
Hi MLegeant,
Thanks for the comment! Really good points – I think retouching these days is so broad, it can go from full-on photoshopping/air-bushing/Facetuning, to just a filter which is supplied on Instagram or Snapchat. I think the filters on Snapchat can be quite detrimental because they literally change someone’s face to be slimmer, smoother, with bigger eyes/mouth etc. However, I do believe it is generally fairly obvious when someone has used a filter. Also a big one I’ve noticed with Fitspo images, is the particular pose someone uses in their photo. I’m sure you can compare yourself in a number of different poses and look completely different.
So I think this would be quite hard to monitor. But I definitely understand where you’re coming from – as Instagram users now have to tell their audience when something is a paid advertisement.
I think the best thing to do with be to ideally move away from having such an emphasis on the body and appearance. But I can’t see that happening any time soon!
Hi KAtkinson,
I really enjoyed reading your paper. You’ve outlined some interesting points on the way Instagram has led to non-authenticity, self-dissatisfaction and self-objectification. Instagram has certainly exposed young girls as well as boys to certain beauty standards and cultural ideals of womanhood which can contribute to the development of eating disorders. Not only our media consumption has changed, but the audience has too. There was a time when young people were exposed to their surrounding peers only, but now with just one click, they can have access to the opinions, behaviors, and ideals of thousands of people instantly. Thus, I believe Instagram can cause much harm to youngsters with low self-esteem. The likes and comments can reinforce their idea of glorifying a certain body image and at times the same likes will be used as inspiration to promote their toxic behavior. Body-shaming is another salient problem which encourage body obsessions, comparisons and competition.
What do you think of teens who use fake Instagram accounts to maintain the pressure of perfection?
Thanks,
Shameema
Feel free to check out my paper:
https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2019Curtin/2019/05/06/gender-swapping-as-a-defensive-mechanism-in-mmos/
Hi Shameema,
Thanks for the comment! Really good points – I definitely agree with that. I believe technological globalisation to be a great thing – but sometimes not so much when it comes to things like this.
I’m not too aware of fake Instagram accounts used by teens – do you mean with photos not of themselves or photos of themselves but with a different name and information?
Hey KAtkinson
This was a really in-depth paper that covered a lot of specific details regarding certain elements of identity on Instagram.
I really liked the way you discussed Instagrams features such as likes, follows and filters in your first paragraph, as my paper strongly agrees that these are a significant part of the issue that Instagram causes with its users identity. Another part of your paper I found interesting was when you were able to directly link an eating disorder to Instagram, the fact you could find evidence for this was impressive and shows you must of done a lot of research.
The only question I had for you, is why do you think Instagram stands out amongst other social networking sites as one of worst for impacting body image and self-identity of adolescent females? A useful quote I had in my paper pointed out that the functioning of Instagram as an ‘image-based platform’ was a significant reason for this. “Increased use of the image-based platform Instagram, in which users post idealized images, is likely putting users at higher risk of negative outcomes than the users of other forms of social media,” (Sherlock & Wagstaff, 2018). Do you agree with this, and from your research, do you have any other reasons as to why Instagram is significantly worse than other social networking sites?
A link to the quote I used can be found below.
Sherlock, M., & Wagstaff, D.L. (2018). http://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000182
Thanks for providing such an interesting read, this was definitely one of the best papers I have read so far. My paper also covers Instagram and its impact on identity, the link can be found below if you are interested.
https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2019Curtin/2019/05/04/the-functions-of-instagram-and-the-pressure-placed-on-users-to-produce-unrealistically-favourable-identities/
Hi MSljivic,
Thanks for the great comment! I totally agree with you on that one, and the quote from your research.
The fact that Instagram is based solely on image sharing and “allowing users to share life moments through pictures as they happen in real time” (Ridgway, 2016: p. 2). Instagram was originally purposed to satisfy the immediacy of its users – mimicking polaroids – instant photographs. However, I believe this has changed significantly with the use of external editing apps, professional cameras etc. This makes the content less authentic, especially when it involves photos of bodies.
I do believe Instagram is more influential on this issue than other SNS such as Facebook and Twitter which are more text based. From my own user experience, I find people tend to share more intimate photos on Instagram than these other platforms. Meaning more images of idealised bodies are viewed by users, causing a more significant impact to body image and self-identity.
I look forward to reading your paper 🙂
Hi KAtkinson,
I really enjoyed reading your paper as it was similar to mine but gave a different outlook on the topic which I found very interesting to see your side of the topic.
One question I have is do you think Instagram will ever lose its popularity or are we all obsessed with perfection to give it up?
Hi RPiahana,
Thanks for the comment. That’s a hard one. I really do believe the popularity of Instagram will continue for at least the foreseeable future. But like everything – something better will come along and take its place. Maybe with more advanced technology – maybe with even more destructive patterns? Only time will tell.
I do believe that female adolescents struggles with self-identity and body image will continue to be influenced and caressed by Instagram and then most likely whatever comes after that.
Thank you for answering my question.
That is very true with social media something better always comes along and takes over. It will be interesting to see if the next big thing will bring along more issues or like you said might add to the issues that young females are already dealing with.